Shaped by Rafa Nadal, Casper Ruud finds 'it’s too late to change what kind of player I am’ 

On Saturday, Casper Ruud saw his 2024 season come to an end when Jannik Sinner completely outplayed him in the semifinals of the Nitto ATP Finals.

With no countermeasures for the hard-hitting world No. 1, Ruud conceded his comfort zone of taking a ‘waiting game, more patient’ approach can be difficult to employ when a punishing player of Sinner’s caliber is in the zone.

“I didn't learn tennis going for winner on the first or second shot. My mentality, how I grew up playing a lot on clay in Spain, it was a different way of playing tennis,” the three-time major finalist told press in Turin after his 6-1, 6-2 defeat.

“Against someone like Jannik, it's something missing, definitely felt today and something I will know next time I play him.”

In my eyes, it's too late to change what kind of player I am at this point. I'm 25. The structure of my game is already there. Casper Ruud

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Growing up, Ruud idolized Rafael Nadal and the way the left-hander maximized margins to work rallies towards his heavy forehand. The 22-time major winner is currently in Malaga preparing for the final event of his career, as Team Spain looks to help send off the legendary competitor with one final triumph at the Davis Cup Finals.

With Nadal having torn away an initial clay-court player label during his career, it gives Ruud hope that he, too, can continue building up results across other surfaces.

That’s not to say major changes are coming to his brand of tennis, either.

“In my eyes, it's too late to change what kind of player I am at this point. I'm 25. The structure of my game is already there. I'm not going to start playing super flat or different style of tennis now,” he says.

“I've definitely been kind of shaped by watching a lot of Rafa tennis. Also Domi (Thiem). He's been the closest to Rafa, the way he played on clay. I really loved watching those guys play. I find that way of playing tennis really nice. I like it myself.

“But the majority of the season is played on hard court, a faster surface. It is a game style that is kind of vulnerable to hard-hitters, fast players.”

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Ruud had nothing but high marks for the level Sinner has produced throughout 2024. Much had changed since they last crossed paths on court three years earlier, with Ruud advancing to three Grand Slam finals and the Italian rising to the top with a pair of hard-court major trophies in hand.

“It's almost a perfect season. Yeah, I hope he calms down for next year,” smiled Ruud.

“I admire Jannik a lot as a player. As a person, he's very serious about what he does. Yeah, it's inspiring. Even though he's younger than me, I have a lot to learn from him.”

With his showing this week, the Norwegian is projected to finish at No. 6 in the year-end rankings.