Casper Ruud, 23, thinks Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic going up against each other is one of the best shows sports fans can enjoy. Ruud, who made two Grand Slam finals in 2023, grew up watching Nadal, Djokovic and Roger Federer dominate the men’s game
Now that Ruud is a tennis star himself, he has a chance to compete against those same greats he grew up following and idolizing.
“Everything they have brought to the table and every match is pure passion. Them playing against each other was some of the most exciting things you could watch in sports in my opinion,” Ruud said, per Eurosport.
Ruud loves the Nadal and Djokovic rivalry
Earlier this year, Djokovic was asked about his rivalries with Nadal and Federer. Djokovic, who is widely considered as one of the greatest players in tennis history, admitted that Nadal and Federer pushed him to become even better and overall had a positive influence on his career.
“Rafa, Roger, and I, obviously, because of the past ten, 15 years, we know what we need to do mentally in this particular situation. That gives us probably a little bit of an edge. I mentioned many times before that the three of us have inspired each other throughout our rivalries and careers to be better, to understand how we can overcome obstacles in the matchups that we have against each other.
I am more grateful today to be in the same era with these two guys than I was probably ten, 15 years ago. I think rivalries with them made me very, very strong, very resilient, and also very motivated that I am still today,” Djokovic said earlier this year.
Recently, Federer ended his career after the Laver Cup. Nadal and Djokovic were also at the Laver Cup and took part in Federer’s farewell.
