Casper Ruud was quick to point out the size of his achievement after winning Barcelona.
The improving Norwegian just loves the clay – and he has been a French Open finalist for the last two years.
But actually taking a title has been another matter. And it looked as though Stefanos Tsitsipas would continue his sparkling form when he broke first in the Barcelona final.
But Casper stormed back superbly to claim the trophy 7-5, 6-3 – and take the wind out of the Greek’s sails for the moment at least.
Ruud was delighted with his breakthrough. ‘For me it means a lot. This is the biggest title that I ever won,’ he admitted.
‘It’s something I’ve chased for a long time. I’ve never won a 500 or a 1000 before. I’ve been to a few finals but always came up a little bit short.’
Could this be a massive breakthrough year for Casper Ruud? At the All England Club, he doesn’t yet know what it’s like to go beyond the second round. Surely that has to change?
Casper Ruud and Rafael Nadal going deep at Wimbledon 2024. That’s what we would love to see in a few months’ time.
And we’re currently seeing the first tentative signs of a Rafael Nadal comeback. He played a couple of decent matches in Barcelona – and wasn’t disheartened by his exit to the excellent Alex de Minaur.
‘At this point the main thing is not winning, it’s leaving the tournament fit, more than anything else. That’s what has happened,’ Rafa explained.
‘I have to behave in Madrid according to how I feel. If my body can cope with the progressive load, that will help me week after week to be able to try and demand more.’
Nadal would dearly love to give a good account of himself in his farewell visit to Roland Garros. We don’t yet know if he will find room for one last Wimbledon campaign. But we certainly hope so.
Casper Ruud is still improving. Rafael Nadal is looking for steady improvement too. Will we see them both thriving at Wimbledon 2024? That would be incredible.
And we would love to see you at Wimbledon 2024 too. It’s going to be so dramatic.
Can Novak Djokovic take one last Grand Slam title to make him the undisputed greatest of all time? Will Sir Andy Murray go out in style?
Or will it be the young guns Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner who steal the limelight and point to a glittering future?
All will be revealed soon enough.
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