Norwegian tennis player Casper Ruud, world number 7, has announced that he will not participate in the grass-court tournaments leading up to Wimbledon.
"With all due respect to Stuttgart and 's-Hertogenbosch, I won't be following those tournaments closely. I might take a look at Queen's and Halle. I'll try to watch the other grass weeks too, because I'll be playing on grass as well. I won't be playing the tournaments before Wimbledon, but I'll be playing Wimbledon itself. It's an interesting surface. I joked about it a bit, but I think it's really interesting to play on it. Grass is a challenge for me, and I think it's good for my game," Ruud said at a press conference.
The move marks a strategic shift for Ruud, who has traditionally played a full series of grass-court warm-up events ahead of Wimbledon. However, the reigning French Open champion believes a more focused approach will benefit his chances at the prestigious Grand Slam tournament.
“Casper has always been a clay-court specialist, but he’s shown he can also succeed on grass,” said former world No. 1 and seven-time Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras. “By being a little more selective with his grass-court schedule, he might be able to come into Wimbledon feeling fresher and more focused on the task at hand.”
Ruud’s decision to skip the first swings on grass could also be influenced by his recent success on the surface. In 2023, the Norwegian reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, his best result to that point. His newfound comfort on grass could allow him to focus more on perfecting his game for the unique challenges of the All England Club.
“I think Casper’s confidence on grass has grown tremendously over the last year,” said former Wimbledon champion Boris Becker. “He’s realized he has the game to compete with the best players on this surface, and that’s a big mental boost. By being a little more selective in his warm-up events, he can really focus on what he needs to do to have a good run at Wimbledon.”
As the grass-court season approaches, Ruud's decision will certainly be scrutinised by fans and pundits alike. However, the Norwegian remains confident that this strategic approach will give him the best chance of success at the sport's most prestigious tournament.
