In Norway, where tennis is not really a national sport, Casper Ruud, born in 1998, was able to generate inspiration from a solid model : his father. Christian Ruud, runner-up in Bastad in 1995 and former top 40 player. Casper was 1 year old when he touched his first tennis racket, but it is only at the age of 11 that he chose between tennis, football, hockey and golf. Fan of Rafael Nadal, the Oslo native tried to emulate the Spaniards forehand. Today it is one of his major weapons, especially on clay, where the former junior world number 1 is beginning to create some serious damage.After having reached the semis in Rome in 2020, the Norwegian repeated in 2021, with a semifinal trifecta in Monte-Carlo, Munich and Madrid, beating along the way seeds such as Schwartzman and Tsitsipas. After a disappointing 3rd round at Roland-Garros, Casper, who trains regularly at the Rafa Nadal Academy, decided to not go to the Olympics, and instead won 3 consecutive tournaments on clay (Bastad, Gstaad and Kitzbühel). So, even if he’s still a bit tender on the big stages, no doubt, it’ s coming.