LIFESTYLE – CASPER RUUD, THE NEW FACE OF SAMSONITE, RELISHES WIMBLEDON CHALLENGE. Darren Cheers’ exclusive with current world no. 4 tennis player

Posted by Editor on July 2, 2023 in Lifestyle | Leave a comment

On the eve of Wimbledon, the tennis world begins to ignite with excitement as the greatest tennis tournament in history begins.  The terracotta clay has long since settled from the French Open, as combat between the world’s best players commences on the emerald green grass of SW19.  It’s a total contrast in surfaces and a monumental challenge for all its competitors.   Coinciding with Wimbledon is the opening of Samsonite’s new flagship store in the heart of Oxford Street.   It’s an incredible multi-storied building with its only onsite repair workshop on the first floor.  The main floor is adorned with Samsonite’s very chicly coloured lime green signature metallic suitcases. A pre-Wimbledon cocktail party, accompanied with delightful tennis-themed canapés, was held to launch this pioneering store. Being a total tennis enthusiast, I was invited and given the opportunity to meet and speak to one of the new next-generation stars of tennis, Casper Ruud, who is now the latest high-profile ambassador for Samsonite.    At just 24, Casper has already reached as high as world number two, currently the fourth best player in the world, and Norway’s very first multiple grand slam finalist.   The charming event was hosted by former British number one Laura Robson and Jamie Murry, seven times doubles grand slam winner, who dazzled us with a table tennis display against Casper.

Sitting down in a quiet corner of the first floor, I asked Casper, what challenges he face on grass.  What adjustments he need to make to his game, especially after his repeated great performances at Roland Garos and winning on the clay in Estoril recently.  And believe it or not, the British weather has a lot to do with it.  The biggest difference is the bounce as Casper told me the “balls don’t react the same way as they do on clay or hard court they kinda skids off the ground  a little bit more on grass and if you have a little bit of humid like today  and is a little colder, with some moisture, the humidity gets into the grass and it skids even more and is faster and an even lower bounce.   It actually depends on the weather…and if it’s dry it plays like a hard court.”  Casper jokes that he hasn’t been in the second week of Wimbledon as senior, but as a junior he did reach the second week and it played almost like a hard court because it was “great weather every day and made it very dry and kinda firm and it really wasn’t the grass experience I was expected because the weather changed that.  So, it all depends on the weather, I would say.”

The next big challenge is the adjustment of your movement, Casper says “you have to take more careful baby steps and kinda break in the corners.   While you know some are able to slide on the grass, I not dare to do it myself because I don’t think I can control my joints…I have seen players slide when they don’t want to slide and they tear something or break something in the body.  You have to be more careful out in the corners. That makes it a bit difficult, when you are playing on clay or hardcourt and you are used to putting a lot of force into every shot with your legs and you can  kinda slide around there and defend a little bit better, but on grass it’s completely different.”   Tactically, on grass Casper has to play the less natural side of his game, introducing more drop shots and playing with more slice.  “Because I not the tallest guy, on serve I don’t serve 130 or 140 all the time, I have to rely on moving well” And as Casper says: “Moving well is pretty difficult on grass.” Slice is an absolute advantage to have in your repertoire on grass.  At one point it was considered bit of an old-fashioned shot as double handed backhands became so prolific in the modern game.  But with the success of legendary players such as Roger Federer, the slice has found a new lease of life.  Remember the Steffi Slice?  Thus, Casper is trying his best to become more of a grass court player.  Compared to British players, though, he feels very inexperienced playing on grass, but year by year, he discerns an improvement.  Interestingly, Casper chose not to play any pre-Wimbledon warm up events, citing he needed a respite from his endeavours at the French Open.   Some might argue this to be unwise, but neither does Novak Djokovic, current Wimbledon men’s defending champion, play any. 

Casper is evidently very proud of his famous forehand, for a big grin develops on his face as he declares that to be his main weapon.  A weapon that has brought him considerable success on both hardcourt and clay having no preference for either surface. “I enjoy playing on grass even though I am maybe not as good at it, but I think it’s fun because it’s completely different so I can play kinda with my shoulders down don’t the pressure because I am not a grass court specialist. So, every time I come here, I’m always excited it’s one of the biggest most historic tournaments and I can play with my shoulders down.” Because of this Casper feels much less pressure at Wimbledon than he does at the French and US opens (where he has reached the finals of each, the French twice).  This exemplifies how expectation can be a hindrance, but how mental strength can overcome that pressure and still allow a player to perform exceptionally well.  Casper credits his great inner strength to his former mental coach who he was close to when he was younger.   He taught him much and nurtured Casper’s natural mental strength, and mental toughness is essential for success on a tennis court, as every player will attest to.  But Casper is “always open to learning different things” to help him out there on the court.  And the court can be a solitary foreboding place and even Casper feels the nerves but is able to surmount them and perform to the highest level.

Now, if his forehand is his ultimate weapon, then it’s his backhand which is his most improved shot and the shot he continues to develop.  Toni Nadal, the uncle, and former coach of tennis legend Rafael Nadal, commented on Eurosport that when Casper first attended the Rafael Nadal Academy, of which Toni is a former coach and director, that the Ruud backhand was his weakness “because he made bad movement with his legs.”  After working on his movement, which Casper evidently loves, Uncle Toni stated: “Now, his backhand is good enough.  Every year, he has improved a little. I remember when he first came to the academy, never thought that he could be no.2 in the world. Now, I have seen many of his matches and he is a very good tennis player.  He can be no.1” Casper is fully aware he will need to evolve his backhand to more of a weapon if he is to challenge current world number one Carlos Alcaraz for that hot spot and secure his maiden grand slam win.   One inspiration for Casper’s chances at Wimbledon, is that Alcaraz was not considered a grass court specialist but managed successfully to transition his game to grass to win the pre-Wimbledon event, Queens, this year.   I saw Alcaraz’s first round match at Queens and he looked uncomfortable moving on the grass, like Casper, not wanting to slide.  But, match by match, he adjusted his game and stunningly dismantled all opposition to take the title and regain the world number one ranking from Dojokvic.  Alcaraz attributed his astonishing transformation to improvements in his own movement on grass that allowed him to hit the ball with more confidence.   And this was the very thing that Casper was discussing with me. 

Casper is friendly and gets along with almost every player on the ATP tour but consciously or subconsciously, he doesn’t have “best of friends” on the tour because of the combative nature of the sport.  “It’s a little bit like this if you have somebody you consider your best friend and maybe suddenly you are playing the biggest match of your career it’s going to be a bit tough because you feel like you are playing your friend and I would rather look at my opponents like opponents. Even though like I say I get along and I feel like I respect my opponents. But for me I always find it tough since I was young to play against my friends so I kinda took that not out of choice but something I always thought about.”  But Casper does have one exemption to this, he is very good friends with his icon Rafa, whose academy he attended in Mallorca. 

How did Casper become an ambassador for Samsonite?  

“It kinda happened after the US Open.  This year we signed a deal and came to an agreement and it’s a great honour to be the ambassador of something I will always use every single week of my life.  Some athletes are ambassadors of a brand that they never even use, but Samsonite is something I use every single week when I travel from one place to another and it’s great that I can take a suitcase that can a lot of throwing around and can take a lot of pressure.”   Casper, who already has a great public image, liaising with such a well-regarded brand as Samsonite is a win-win for both parties and as a tennis enthusiast it certainly encourages me support the brand more.

Can Casper win Wimbledon?  As Casper says himself, he has no expectation going into Wimbledon, and will allow himself to enjoy playing at the event.  His lack of grass court experience at senior level (not making the second week) is definitely an issue, but Alcaraz just proved that all aspirations, however unlikely can be manifested.   As highlighted earlier, Djokovic chooses not to play warm-up events, and he’s currently going for his eighth title. But realistically, the odds are stacked against Casper.  If he can get past his first-round opponent and the weather is warmer with little moisture and courts play more like a hardcourt, then anything can happen.  

Can Casper win a grand slam?  He certainly possesses all the attributes needed to win a major, a big forehand, heavy ground strokes, reliable serve, excellent movement and great mental fortitude. But when you are in a era that boasts two of the greatest players in history, Nadal and Dojokvic, and ascendency of a new superstar, Alcaraz, it becomes very challenging to take that final step.  But Casper can take solace in the fact that he has been in three major finals and though they were all defeats it was to these three aforementioned players.   But to defeat them particularly in the final, he needs to weaponise his backhand more. But against any other player as Uncle Toni said the backhand is “good enough!”  So, simply, yes! 

Darren Cheers