French Open: Casper Ruud stands between Novak Djokovic and his quest for tennis immortality

For the second successive year, on Court Philippe Chatrier, Casper Ruud will look to stand in the way of hory.This time last year, Ruud was on the receiving end of a straight-sets beatdown at the hands of Rafael Nadal, who had his crowning moment winning his 14th French Open and 22nd Grand Slam title.And this year, Ruud will be the man to get through again as Novak Djokovic, at the home of his greatest rival, looks to clinch a 23rd Major and a third Roland Garros title to cement his own legacy as the most successful men’s tennis player in hory.
Such is the magnitude of Djokovic’s potential achievement, and the narrative power of the occasion, that the player on the other side of the net feels inconsequential. And going under the radar will suit Ruud just fine.
Last year, Ruud made his breakthrough at the French Open grabbing his opportunity on the weaker half of the draw and reaching his first Major final. Greater achievements followed as he reached the final of the US Open and ATP Finals, but despite that, having not gone deeper than the semifinal in any other tournament in 2023, few would have expected Ruud to go all the way in Paris.

Novak Djokovic secures a place in his seventh #RolandGarros final.
Rewatch the Highlights of the Day Emirates.#FlyBetter pic.twitter.com/HMOJEl3cIa
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 9, 2023
On paper, this was Ruud taking advantage of the draw once again, with Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner falling away early. But the 24-year-old Norwegian, through venomous and precise ball striking from the baseline, made tough tests against an in-form Holger Rune and a resurgent Alexander Zverev look routine.
Ruud will be hungry, and no longer in it for the consolation prize. Defeat on Sunday would mean he would join Ivan Lendl, Andy Murray, and Dominic Thiem as the only four men to lose three Grand Slam finals without winning any. Lendl and Murray both lost four.
Nightmare matchup
A former trainee at the Rafa Nadal Academy, Ruud’s strengths are most accentuated on clay. Pace and spin are essential to his groundstrokes, and his rapid side-to-side movement and perfect sliding allow him to get to almost any ball from the baseline and have them right in his strike zone.
But those strengths have been mute, constrained, and suffocated against Djokovic in the past, versus whom Ruud has a 0-4 losing head-to-head record.
Over the years, Ruud has never quite been able to shed the tag of being a one-dimensional player. The criticism stands to reason – his entire tennis repertoire is based around a single, all-conquering weapon, a sledgehammer of a forehand.
It would not be an overstatement to call Ruud’s forehand one of the most ferocious shots in modern clay court tennis. Not only is he able to hit it with abundant power, it is the high bounce off the slow clay that Ruud is able to generate through the topspin-laden stroke that is devastatingly useful, sending opponents trailing back and opening the court for him to take control. Time and time again, both against Rune and Zverev, Ruud was able to work the angles consently and find great depth to foil any hopes of his opponents finding inroads back into the match.

Ruud to the final 🔜🏆#RolandGarros @CasperRuud98 pic.twitter.com/weMKQm7fnO
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 9, 2023
But Djokovic’s mastery from the baseline is all about control. Blessed with unwavering patience and physicality, he can wear opponents down elongating rallies, testing their patience until he has taken control and positioning himself perfectly to hit a winner or force an error.
In last year’s final, with every serve, volley, and groundstroke, Nadal was setting up his lefty-forehand to go deep crosscourt into Ruud’s weaker backhand wing, nullifying his strength and taking control. In each of Djokovic’s previous four matches, including two on clay, he has used his backhand – that he can then use with devastating effect down the line for a quick winner – to do the same. And Ruud has not even been able to take a set off him.
Ruud also does not feel comfortable taking the ball early. He prefers to retreat way behind the baseline to wait for the ball to come back into his strike zone, and at times, he goes so far back behind the baseline while returning that he disappears from the television camera’s frame. This would play into Djokovic’s penchant for the serve and volley, drop shots, and general tendency of making his opponents move all over the court.
Even for the greats, though, the chance to make hory carries its weight. At the 2021 US Open, Djokovic was one match away from the rarest of rare achievements, a Calendar Grand Slam – winning all four Major title in a single calendar year. But in the final, unable to handle the pressure, he retreated into a shell, missing his angles and groundstrokes and failing to live up to the moment.
There is little doubt that Djokovic is on the verge of another special achievement in Paris, but if he crumbles, will Ruud have the wherewithal to capitalise?
EXPLAINED: Forehand down-the-line
It’s a shot that Nadal has used to devastating effect against Djokovic in Paris over the years.

With Djokovic more than certain to target his backhand, Ruud’s chances of taking control of the rallies will be few and far between. When he catches Djokovic in the crosscourt forehand exchanges, the Serb, as he did against Carlos Alcaraz on Friday, will try to park him deep and wide into his forehand wing to offer him less time and room to unload on the shot.
The only way to make him pay, then, will be if Ruud makes the most of the riskier, low-percentage option of hitting his forehand down the line. Extract winners from that shot, especially early in the encounter, and he’ll make Djokovic rethink his baseline strategy.