The 2026 Roland Garros is turning into a true stage of unprecedented opportunities for tennis players, in an edition marked by surprises and absences that have shaken the convictions of the favorites. With Carlos Alcaraz out of the competition and the early eliminations of figures like Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic, the path is clear for the emergence of a new Grand Slam champion. At the center of attention is Casper Ruud, the Norwegian who is already well acquainted with the pressure of finals in Paris, having previously contested two, and who now emerges as one of the main contenders for the title, alongside Alexander Zverev.
Ruud’s journey in the first three matches has not been a walk in the park, demanding tremendous physical and mental resilience. The clash against Safiullin, resolved only in the fifth set, was just the beginning of a marathon that continued in the next match against Tommy Paul. In this epic duel, the Norwegian staged an impressive comeback, recovering from two sets down to win 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(4), 7-5 in a battle that lasted nearly five hours under intense heat.
In a press conference, Casper Ruud shared a detailed analysis of his performance and already cast a confident glance towards the round of 16, where he will face Portuguese player João Fonseca, recently buoyed by his historic victory over Djokovic. “It’s hard to say exactly what the difference was. I believe it was a few crucial points. The statistics show that I converted all three break opportunities I had, while he converted only two out of fourteen. It was a combination of luck for me and bad luck for him, but that’s tennis for you, a very cruel sport at times. Perhaps that was the key to the match,” explained the Norwegian.
Despite the exhausting battle, Ruud claims to feel surprisingly good physically, a crucial factor for what remains of the tournament: “Honestly, I feel very well. At the end of the match, you always start to feel some fatigue, but the weather warmed up a bit in the last sets, which helped. I don’t think I’ll be back on court tomorrow, so I will take advantage of the next 36 to 40 hours to recover as much as possible. This is the great advantage of Grand Slam tournaments, having rest days. I will save all my energy for Sunday.”
Conscious of the unique moment he is experiencing, the former world number two revealed the importance of the opportunity: “This is a very open tournament and that is exciting for everyone, because in a week we will have a new champion of a Grand Slam. All players are aware of this. Obviously, Novak and Jannik were big favorites, especially the latter. I will try to take advantage of the experience I have gained from going far in major tournaments and we will see how far that takes me. The focus remains on playing match by match,” said Ruud, who faces a special challenge against João Fonseca: “I have an incredible battle ahead of me against a young talent with a lot of potential. He has already defeated great players and knows what it takes to succeed. The victory he achieved today was probably the most important of his career. We both came back from two sets down and just played very long matches. I will face him and expect a spectacular duel. Besides that, he is a really nice guy, so I look forward to a great match.”
The promise is made: the 2026 Roland Garros could be the stage for Casper Ruud’s crowning, who, despite the adversities, demonstrates fierce determination and an immense hunger for his first Grand Slam title. Tennis fans cannot afford to miss a single second of this edition, where history is being written at the speed of a racquet’s strokes.
This article first appeared on Apito Final.
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