Casper Ruud takes one step closer to world No. 1 after statement Matteo Berrettini victory

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NEW YORK—Before taking the court for his first US Open quarterfinal, No. 5 Casper Ruud told press, “I'm not the guy to talk too much about trick shots because I don't have too many of them myself. I'm not the most flashy player.”

Across two hours and 30 minutes against No. 13 seed Matteo Berrettini, the Norwegian put on a show that proved just the opposite. Laser-sharp forehands, ‘how did that land in?’ lobs, impossible gets, and even a 'tweener that had all of Arthur Ashe Stadium on its feet—Ruud employed his entire arsenal to close out the Italian 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (4).

The victory sent him to his second career Grand Slam semifinal—and his second of the year, after also reaching the 2022 Roland Garros final—and made him the first Norwegian player to reach this stage at the US Open.

“During Paris, something clicked,” Ruud said during his post-match press conference. “And I feel like this year I have sort of figured out in the better way how to play five sets and knowing that it's very different from playing best-of-three sets, and it often becomes much longer matches and a lot of back and forth.

“I think I matured and learned how to play five sets better than I did last year.”

He also took one step closer to an even greater milestone: the ATP Tour’s world No. 1 ranking. Ruud is one of three players who can end the fortnight at the top along with Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal. For Ruud and Alcaraz, each must reach the final to get the No. 1 ranking, and if they meet in the final it would be a battle for No. 1. But if neither gets to that stage, the top spot will go to Nadal.

Ruud made a strong case for himself on a rainy Tuesday afternoon, weathering all of Berrettini’s firepower and even at times outgunning the big-hitting Italian off the ground.

For much of the first two sets, Ruud was nearly untouchable, gobbling up Berrettini's second serves and dictating play with his forehand. Across the first five games, which Ruud won 5-0 with a double break, he allowed Berrettini only seven points; in the 6-1 first set, he only committed two unforced errors.

"The conditions were a little bit in my favor with the humidity and the roof closed," Ruud explained. "It made the ball, or the court, feel a little slower. I felt like I had more time than usual when I play against him. It was a little bit of advantage for me."

He maintained that level into the second set, directing traffic to the Berrettini backhand and letting the Italian make unforced errors—by the end of the match, Berrettini had committed 39, handing Ruud over a third of his 106 points won.

At 1-1, a trio of ‘flashy’ shots won by Ruud—including a 'tweener get and a zinging passing shot that landed plumb on the line—had the fans on Ashe leaping to their feet in disbelief. Berrettini finally seemed to wake up as he saw the Norwegian take a 5-1 lead, saving three set points to extend his stay in the contest. Despite eventually dropping the set 6-4, he came out of the gates swinging after the changeover.

Targeting the Ruud backhand, Berrettini’s own massive forehand and serve—which have earned him the nickname "The Hammer" on the ATP Tour—were firing. He broke early and saved four break points of his own to take a 3-0 lead in the third, and made his way to set points at 5-3. But it was too little too late against a zoned-in Ruud, who righted the ship in the tiebreak to close out the victory and a place in the semifinals.

With Daniil Medvedev, Marin Cilic and Nadal all bowing out in the fourth round, the US Open is once again guaranteed a first-time men’s singles champion—something that’s become a bit of a trend in recent years.

And having long silenced the critics who tried to label him as a ‘clay-court specialist’, Ruud said he sees no reason why his name can’t be listed alongside theirs.

“When you look at the Champions Wall in the locker room here, you see there are many different players who have won this tournament,” he said. “I'm not sure why, but there is something special I guess with this place. This year, there will be new first-time winner here this year also.

“It shows that it's possible to do it here in New York. It's sort of a city of dreams, I guess, and that's helping me with my game and my motivation.”