Q. Casper, if I asked you what was the greatest moment or the greatest bit of time that you have had in your professional life, what would you say?
CASPER RUUD: Well, I think that for me I have some of my best memories from the US Open in 2022, just due to the fact that in Roland Garros 2022 I made my first final at a slam, and then just a few months later, I was able to follow it up with another one, kind of showing that it wasn't just like a once in a lifetime experience and a kind of one hit wonder.
And I was able to follow it up on another surface, as well, hard court, where probably a lot of people didn't believe I was going to be able to, including myself. You know, going into the US Open 2022 I was not having great expectations for myself. Then suddenly I was there in the final, and I played, at least to me in my career, a memorable match against Carlos, and of course I ended up losing it, but I had a great time on court. I was a happy guy for those weeks.
Q. If I asked you to say the type of person you are, what sort of person are you, what would you say?
CASPER RUUD: I would say I'm a quite relaxed person. I'm very kind of, what should I say, I'm a family guy. I like spending time with family. I have a good relationship with everyone in my family.
I love going to Sunday dinners, either my side of the family or with my girlfriend's side. It's a typical thing to do in Norway, kind of, like a gathering on a Sunday.
Well, I like to explore different stuff. I like to keep my kind of mind and my head busy. Obviously, I didn't finish school, so there is a lot of things that I know that I can learn about many different things, but I find, you know, like we don't need to go into it, but, for example, I find politics more and more interesting. I try to follow a little bit on what's going on around in the world, the economic market, as well.
Q. Knowledge?
CASPER RUUD: Yeah, my knowledge on a different scale than just hitting tennis balls, I would say (smiling).
Q. In one sense, does that define your professional career?
CASPER RUUD: Well, I think I have always been looking for new ways to develop myself, but I also know my strengths and would like to stick to them.
In my professional life, I'm very, let's say, professional. I would never go and kind of tank a practice or give up on a practice unless I'm injured or hurt, and I take every practice seriously. I like to stay in my kind of bubble, my focus.
I don't show too many emotions, because I'm so kind of eager to perform my best. I'm not the kind of guy who is able to kind of mix just joking around and playing, necessarily, because I'm super focused on trying to win.
So, I wish I could show some more kind of personality at times or charisma, but I'm trying. But like I said, matches, trying to win matches, takes too much energy (smiling).
Q. But you have developed notoriety and attention. How do you handle that? Do you like the attention and the notoriety that has come to you? You have been ranked as high as 2 in the world and reached major finals.
CASPER RUUD: Yeah, I mean, I guess it comes with good results, so that's kind of how it works. The better the results, the more kind of PR and the more attention you will get. So I think it's part of the job.
I didn't realize when I was young and dreaming about being a professional tennis player how much of it would be, and I didn't necessarily every day of my life strongly believe that I would get to where I am today, because just looking, watching tennis on TV with Roger, Rafa, Novak, Andy, it seemed almost impossible to kind of handle what these guys had been doing and get to that same point.
But as the years gone by and I have worked hard, I have taken few steps at a time, and it's great to be part of this event, because this is kind of elite event where only six players get invited to play. I'm honored every time I get the call to play here.
Q. We spoke about the notoriety, et cetera. Casper, do you think that in one sense doors open for you now?
CASPER RUUD: Yeah, some way. I mean, I think that as you have become either a sportsperson or a famous person and the world you live in today, you kind of have a voice if you want to use it, and for almost anything. It can be for the good or the worse.
You shouldn't use your voice for things you don't know too many things about, let's say, but you can, because it's very easy. You can just go on the social media or an app or have an interview and I could say anything I would like, and it would be a headline, kind of.
So that's come with, and you have to be a little careful sometimes in what you say, which is not something tough to get used to, but I realize that if you say something that is a little bit out of the ordinary or if I have an opinion on something outside of sport, it quickly becomes a headline.
So yeah, I realize that I have a voice, but you should be a bit careful what you use it for.
Q. I hate to say it, but you're not a bad looking guy (smiling). Do you work on your presentation, on your look and how you react?
CASPER RUUD: Honestly, not really. I mean, like, maybe what you meant with opening doors has been, like, being doing for certain photo shoots maybe or being I had a fun time being at Vogue in Scandinavia. It was something that I don't know much of, but I know that Vogue is probably the biggest magazine in the world when it comes to fashion and these things.
So, I had a cool time kind of challenging but like I say, it's also a challenge, because it's something I have never done before. The photographer asks you to look like this or that, and I have no idea what I'm supposed to do, so I'm not really good with my poses (smiling).
But if someone wants to photograph me in a jumpsuit or suit or some kind of outfit, I'm happy to do many things, but there are some things I also have to say no to.
Q. Well, one of the reasons I wanted to ask about that is because you and Maria went to the royal occasion middle of the year, dressed formally, and both of you looked absolutely incredible. Do you like those sorts of occasions and being in such situations? It's pretty unique.
CASPER RUUD: Thank you, and yeah, it is. I mean, it might be once in a lifetime experience, so it's an honor to be invited. It was an honor to go, get to go. Kind of, in a way, if I had done better in Rome I wouldn't get to go. So, it was kind of a win and a lose situation (smiling).
But it was super special. I was quite nervous. You kind of feel nervous to say anything wrong, and especially when you're supposed to greet the royals, you want to make sure you say the right things, do the right things.
Q. Did you?
CASPER RUUD: I guess I did (smiling). I mean, I hope so. They were also visited by the Danish royal family. They were all, the Danish king and the Norwegian king are interested in sport, and the Danish king asked me a few things about tennis.
It was a good time. I was nervous in the beginning, but they made me feel very comfortable, and I had some good food. It's funny, because the Norwegian king, back in the day, I think early 1900s or end of the 1800s had this theory because I was interested to see what we were going to get for food and how big are the portions, like how do you have to kind of eat the food and eat in a proper way.
The Norwegian, at least, the royal family of Norway, they have this kind of saying that when you're invited to eat at the royal palace, at least you're going to go home and you're going to be full, so you can actually kind of choose as much food as you wanted.
So that was a nice thing. It wasn't like this super small plate, and you had to go get something, some food on the way back home. So, I left from the royal palace super full and had a great time, good drinks, good food. Yeah, it was an honor.
Q. Maria is a bit low key. Is that by her choosing, or is it your choosing?
CASPER RUUD: No, it's by her. I mean, it's her choice. Obviously, we met before I got to the level I was at now, so things have changed for her, as well, and it hasn't always been easy.
There are more things in my life that I have to take care of now than when we met. So when you're together with or a girlfriend or partner or fiancée, wife of an athlete, you have to be prioritized No. 3, 4, 5 even some days, because there are many other things that I have to do before.
It's tennis, it's treatment, it's media, it's maybe meeting a sponsor. It's a lot of things before you have time for maybe your partner.
So she's been very, very patient and great with these things, and on the social media side and kind of headlight side, she doesn't want it. She wants to be her own, in control of her own kind of life and especially personal life. I'm happy that she's found that way.
Q. Golf is your passion. A couple of questions on golf. Obviously, why golf? Because Mark Twain once said, "Golf is a good walk spoiled." How much do you love beating your father at golf? And I believe you're off scratch now.
CASPER RUUD: Yeah, it's fun. It's my biggest kind of passion outside of tennis, I would say, our hobby. Just to kind of, I guess the feeling is similar to tennis when you hit a forehand cross exactly and it lands exactly where you aim it, it's the same with golf. But in golf I do it less often than in tennis.
That one shot that feels perfect and looks perfect and ends up on the green or close to the hole, that feeling is unlike anything else. You get it also in tennis, or I can assume if you hit, like, let's say archery in the Olympics, hit a perfect 10, it's a good feeling. It makes you feel either proud of yourself or that you accomplished something that you actually envisioned to do.
In golf the margins are so small, so a good shot and a bad shot can be only half a centimeter difference or even less on how you hit the ball. I know that good golf shots, they don't come easy, so if I hit a good one it's a good feeling, and you want to replicate that feeling as much as you can.
Of course, it's more complex than just hitting balls. You also need to hit the right shots, try to shoot low. That's also a goal.
So it's just a really complex sport that I find very challenging but also relaxing. I can disconnect from everything in my tennis professional life, and being out there for four, five hours is really super fun for me.
Q. And beating your dad?
CASPER RUUD: Yeah, it's fun. It happens more often now. But I remember the first time was a kind of milestone in my golfing career. We have also a third guy, a very good friend of mine. We are very close. So, the level, we can beat each other any given day.
The most important is actually to beat him, because if I lose to my father, if my father beats that guy, I'm happy for him (smiling). It's a good day as long as one of the Ruuds, they win.
Q. What is the one thing you want to achieve the most with your career?
CASPER RUUD: I would say to win a Grand Slam is, for me, the kind of biggest goal, the biggest dream. I was close in '22 to becoming World No. 1. You know, if you think about it, I believe that if Carlos had lost to Sinner in US Open when he had match point down, and I had reached the semis or the finals, I would have become World No. 1, but it would feel wrong, in a way, to be World No. 1 without winning a slam. So, for me, I think the slam is the most important and I would like it to come first.
But of course, when I think about it after, it would be I wouldn't hate it to have been World No. 1 either, but I mean, for me, the slam is the kind of ultimate goal, dream, and I'm happy that I still haven't I would love to have won it maybe two years ago or when I had the chance, but it's still something I chase and something I will chase maybe the rest of my career and not make it, but hopefully one day I will be there again and have the chance to play for it.
Q. My last question, I think you touched on this a little earlier, but what is the dearest and most important thing to you?
CASPER RUUD: I would say it's easy. For me it's Maria, because she's the one I share everything with, and she's been there for many years now.
Yeah, it's strange, maybe not strange, but it feels right that it's her, and that's another person that you kind of feel connected with and that you hopefully can spend many more years together or the rest of your life hopefully.
As we have grown kind of together in our 20s, it's been a really good time, and I hope it can continue.
