Decoding the incredible run of Casper Ruud in 2021
World number eight Casper Ruud earned a spot in the ATP Finals after beating Marcos Giron at the Paris Masters on Thursday. Ruud is the first Norwegian to earn a spot in the season finale. He claimed a straight-set victory to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in Paris. The 22-year-old will next face Alexander Zverev. Here, we decode his run in 2021.
Ruud has won five titles in 2021
Ruud has been on a roll of late. Prior to the Paris Masters, the Norwegian lost to Jannik Sinner in the quarter-finals of Vienna Open. The former defeated Cameron Norrie to win in San Diego. In July, Ruud clinched three consecutive titles (Bastad, Gstaad, and Kitzbuhel). He has won a total of five titles this year, and is 53-14 in the season.
Ruud reached the semi-finals at Monte-Carlo Masters
Ruud made his presence felt at the Monte-Carlo Masters in April. He defeated Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune, Diego Schwartzman, Pablo Carreno Busta, and Fabio Fognini to qualify for the semi-finals. The former recorded his second Top 10 win after beating Schwartzman in straight sets. Ruud reached his second Masters 1000 semi-final. However, he lost the penultimate clash to Andrey Rublev..
Another semi-final finish for Ruud
Ruud continued his bright form at the 2021 Mutua Madrid Open. He claimed his first win over a Top 5 player after beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the third round (straight sets). Ruud qualified for his third straight ATP Masters 1000 semi-final on clay. Although he lost to Matteo Berrettini, Ruud entered the Top 20 for the first time in his career.
Ruud entered the Top 10 after winning three titles
By winning the 2021 Swedish Open, Ruud clinched his second title of the year. In the following week, Ruud won his third title of 2021. He was crowned champion of the Swiss Open after beating Hugo Gaston in the final. Ruud then won in Kitzbuhel, defeating Pedro Martínez in the final. In September, Ruud became the first Norwegian player to enter the Top 10.
A look at other feats of Ruud in 2021
After his win in Kitzbuhel , Ruud became the player since Andy Murray (October 2011) to claim three titles in as many weeks. His winning streak ended at the 2021 Canada Masters after he was defeated in the quarter-finals by Stefanos Tsitsipas. Later on, Ruud won his first-ever hard-court tournament, in San Diego. The Norwegian also claimed his first victory at the Paris Masters.
