"That has made him more mature over time": Casper Ruud has benefited from watching Rafael Nadal compete says coach Pedro Clar
ATP
Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal has inspired several of the next generation of tennis stars. The former World No.1 is also a source of motivation for current ATP stars, including Casper Ruud, according to Pedro Clar, long-term coach of the Norwegian.
Ruud has been a staple in the top 10 on the ATP for close to four years. The Oslo native turned pro in 2015, and decided to take his game to the next level when he joined Nadal's tennis academy in Mallorca three years later. Ruud would train at the Spaniard's academy before his breakthrough in 2021, and has since openly admitted his time there attributed to his success.
Nadal's values a source of inspiration for Ruud
Read also
In an interview with Punto de Break, Clar suggested Ruud always looked up to the Spaniard. Additionally, it was Nadal's personality traits that helped Ruud mature into a mentally tougher tennis player.
"Being Nordic, it comes a little from within him [referring to Casper Ruud], but he has always said it: he has grown up watching Rafa compete, he has seen his values and everything he transmits, that has made him mature over time," said Clar. "Surely we would find many aspects of Rafa that Casper has been assimilating, this helps him have that emotional stability when competing."
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
claps 0visitors 0
Just In
Popular News
Latest Comments
- Vacherot is Mongasque, rather than Swiss. The tournament was Swiss :DTrwd7702-11-2026
- After a couple decades traveling to IIHF tourneys overseas... our family is done with it... and I will not be the only one!! Bad enough the NHL allows Ovachenko (a Putin Supporter and Campaigner) to live and play in the USA. Let's not forget the STATE SPONSORED RUSSIAN DOPING PROGRAMS still in effect today.
mandoist31-10-2026 - Osaka's mental state apparently does not allow her to reach any more Quarter Finals? I mean, she doesn't really have the time for tennis with all the pre-planning that must go into her 12 year-old "fashion" goals.
mandoist29-10-2026 - With her money one would think she could afford a better team of Psychiatrists?
mandoist29-10-2026 - Boss move, Sinner !Rapunzel27-10-2026
- Apparently still refusing to seek 'help' ...and still playing Dress-Up like a 10 year-old.
mandoist27-10-2026 - Lena... Takin' care of business
mandoist25-10-2026 - Can you please stop publishing this nonsense? Stick to Tennis.
mandoist25-10-2026 - Does Sinner need that 4.5 mil? I doubt it. He can make that with three modelling gigs!😅🤣Rapunzel21-10-2026
- Did "People Magazine" purchase this website? This nonstop storyline is bullshit.
mandoist21-10-2026








