Casper Ruud has roasted so-called tennis experts who post their opinions and analysis on social media, especially Tennis Twitter, after his first-round win at the US Open.
World No. 5 Ruud has claimed that fans should not take a lot of what these 'experts' say as good or accurate information. This comes after the Norwegian slammed a tweet by tennis podcast host Scott Barclay.
In the wake of American player John Isner's retirement announcement, Barclay suggested that the former Wimbledon semi-finalist had never been an exciting player to watch.
However, Ruud responded to the comment, defending Isner by referencing his involvement in some of the most thrilling matches in tennis history.
Ruud calls out so-called tennis experts
Speaking at the US Open in New York, where the 24-year-old has progressed through to the second round after defeating Emilio Nava in the opening round, Ruud criticized the 'experts' of Tennis Twitter, saying they often 'have no clue what they're talking about.'
"I read a bunch of these so-called tennis experts & their opinions. It’s just insane. It annoys me in a way because I feel like if you haven’t played professionally in the past, most of them have no clue what they’re talking about.
"For fans, if anyone listens to what I’m saying, I’d just not take more than 5% of what so-called tennis experts on twitter say as good info because it’s just not the way it goes," he said.
Ruud reflects on online confrontation
Although he didn't directly reference the online clash with Barclay, Ruud opened up about his interactions with these 'experts' in general.
"I could probably reply to many things, but I just leave it. It’s interesting to see how people exaggerate all the time on social media about anything. You go from being the best player in the world to being the worst player in the history from one week to another. It shouldn’t be taken serious," he continued.
Ruud added that he sometimes likes to interact with people there because he feels like his opinion matters, but that it's not healthy to spend a lot of time in such online spaces.
"Sometimes I like to interact bc sometimes I feel like my opinion could matter. I have to be really annoyed to actually take the time to reply to someone.
"It’s a wicked place to spend too much time. Reading about yourself is not really nice. I take it with a smile but sometimes I guess I can’t control myself. It’s easy to communicate with fans or haters... it’s worth it sometimes. But it can be dangerous to spend too much time there," he concluded.