"On the TV, it's not fair, the speed": Casper Ruud decodes key difference between playing Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic

Norway’s Casper Ruud has highlighted a difference between facing Italy’s Jannik Sinner and former world number one Jannik Sinner. The three-time Grand Slam runner-up faced the reigning world number one in the last group match of the ongoing ATP Finals. The last major event in the men’s tennis calendar, which is currently being played in Turin, is moving towards the business end, where the remaining players are giving their all to secure the ultimate prize. Ruud’s tournament came to an end as he lost to the reigning world number one in the semifinal of the competition in straight sets with a score of 6-1, 6-2. There has been a lot of discussion about Sinner’s similarity in play with Djokovic, and Ruud asked about it after the match as well. The Oslo-born star was of the opinion that the primary difference between the two was that the Italian tennis star ‘doesn’t let’ his opponent breathe. He stated that facing Djokovic is extremely hard as he is the greatest player in the history of tennis, but at least there is an opportunity to have rallies with Sinner, that is not possible because of the speed at which the two-time Grand Slam winner plays. “I think on TV, it looks probably similar the way they play. But Jannik hits a faster ball than Novak. He doesn't let you breathe. With Novak you can play rallies. Not going to say easier to play Novak because he's the best in the history. At least with Novak you can play more rallies and not be terrified of Novak ripping, like, a bomb down the line or cross-court or these things. I don't necessarily like to compare players because everyone has their own style. For me, you don't realize how fast Jannik plays unless you watch him play live and you're there in the stadium. On the TV, it's not fair, the speed. I got to practice with him here earlier leading up to the tournament. He also kicked my a** there. In a way I knew what I was facing today. Sometimes you feel like players might play even better in practice because they play with no pressure and such things. But today he played really well from the beginning until the end.”