Casper Ruud, the world No. 7, has opened up about his recent loss to Jannik Sinner at the ATP Finals and shared insights into why the Italian star poses a unique challenge compared to Novak Djokovic.

Sinner’s Relentless Style

After suffering a crushing 6-1, 6-2 defeat to Sinner in the semi-final, Ruud described the experience of facing the current world No. 1:

“Jannik hits a faster ball than Novak. He doesn’t let you breathe.”

Ruud emphasized how Sinner’s aggressive game differs from Djokovic’s more methodical style.

“With Novak, you can play rallies. With Jannik, you have to be ready for a bomb down the line or cross-court.”

Comparing Djokovic and Sinner

Although Ruud acknowledged Djokovic as the greatest of all time, he explained why the Serb’s playing style doesn’t invoke the same level of intimidation:

“At least with Novak, you’re not terrified of him ripping a bomb. He’s the best in history, but you get more chances to engage in rallies.”

Ruud also pointed out how Sinner’s speed is deceptive when viewed on TV:

“You don’t realize how fast Jannik plays unless you watch him live. On TV, it’s not fair—the speed doesn’t translate.”

Past Encounters and Lessons Learned

This was Ruud’s third meeting with Sinner, and the result was no surprise to him:

“I got to practice with him here earlier leading up to the tournament. He also kicked my a** there. I knew what I was facing.”

Even though Ruud hasn’t beaten Sinner in their three matches, he remains hopeful about future encounters:

“I hope I can play Jannik more in the future because it’s a really fun challenge, even though today I lost badly.”

Reflections on the Match

Ruud admitted that the match didn’t go as planned, highlighting how Sinner’s defense and precision left him frustrated:

“Even the points I played really well, he was there defending. I ended up doing a stupid mistake at the end.”

Despite the defeat, Ruud remains optimistic about improving his game:

“I didn’t get a good start, so I got stressed and overplayed. But I’ll learn from this and see if I can step it up next time.”