Casper Ruud first spoke about differences between him and other young players. 21-years-old Ruud is number 36 in the ATP Ranking and there are some players which are younger and ranked higher. And that is something, Ruud says he gains motivation from.

"I'm not going to say that I feel old but some younger players are doing better than me; it's something to perhaps gain motivation from. I'm a couple of steps behind them now, but I've built a good base this year and will hopefully be ready for an even better season next year."

When he was young, Casper did not have a lot of players in Norway to look up to. Maybe the only player he was watching closely was his father, Christian. He reached 39th place in ATP Ranking and 4th round at the 1997 Australian Open. About his relationship with father, Casper Ruud said:

"I know my dad cares about me and wants everything in the best way for me. So, of course, he's been a huge part of my success, ever since I was little. I'm from a small tennis country, and I don't have too many people to look up to except for him. He's the only one who knows how tough is life on the Tour. I think it's been a huge advantage to have my father so close to me and helping me with my tennis.

"He's always been there for me and tried to guide me; when you're 13 or 14, it's easy to think about other things or want to go out to parties. My dad was strict with me in those ways because he knew you have to be serious from a young age if you want to be a professional tennis player. There were some sacrifices, but it's paid off."

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