Grass is for golf players hilariously quipped Casper Ruud and he will look to finally make a success of Wimbledon this year. It is the only Grand Slam tournament that he has failed to reach the second week in.
Famously Ruud spends more time preparing on a golf course than he does on grass as the only surface he doesn't really hold a candle for. He also attended more concerts for artist The Weeknd than he did spending time playing at Wimbledon with his summer centred around him.
But after reaching the semi-finals of the French Open, Ruud who was hit by a stomach bug which he believes prevented any further progress will aim to hit the ground running after some rest after playing for most of the year without.
“I think grass is for golf players,” Ruud famously said in Miami. “My preparation for Wimbledon is pretty much just playing golf, you know, before the tournament, because I feel more comfortable on the golf course than the tennis courts on grass for now. But let's see if it can change.”
But he kind of retracted that this past few week speaking after the French Open. “I think it's a very fun surface, and I have been joking a little bit about certain things before, but I think it's a very fun surface to play on because it brings something completely different,” said Ruud. “It challenges me in a way that I think is good for my game in a way to be challenged.
“I'm really looking forward to Wimbledon," adds the three-time Grand Slam runner-up albeit he won't be playing any sort of warm-up for the tournament. "But yeah, next week I don't think I will watch much tennis.”
After losing to Zverev in the semi-finals, he said that he will take it easy and have some time off before finally aiming to crack Wimbledon. "There's a lot, a long way to go where I feel like I'm 100% satisfied, and I think that's a good thing. I don't feel like I'm complete yet as a player, very far from it. So I still have a lot of things to work on.
"But the season has been great, I would say, to sum it up. This result here in Paris is, in my eyes, a great result, and it was unfortunate and a pity today that it ended this way. But I consider it, let's say, the first half of the year very good, and I'm looking forward to having some time off.
"I think I have played maybe 50 matches already the first five months of the year. It's going to be nice with a few weeks off and then I'm looking forward to getting on the grass."
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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