Norwegian tennis player Casper Ruud is set to take on world number five Rafael Nadal in the final of the 2022 French Open, but the clash means more to the 23-year-old than just a trophy.

Ruud, who was trained at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, progressed to the French Open final after defeating Croatian veteran Marin Cilic 3-6 6-4 6-2 6-2. The win took the Norwegian to his first-ever Grand Slam final.

While a shot at the title itself is a special opportunity for Ruud, the first Norwegian man to make the final of a Grand Slam singles event, what is even more special is a chance to spar with his childhood idol, Rafael Nadal.

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Whereas Ruud was in the stands in 2013, cheering Nadal on as the Spaniard beat David Ferrer 6–3, 6–2, 6–3 to win the French Open, the Norwegian will be on the court on Sunday, looking his idol in the eye.

“He’s [Nadal] the last player of the ‘Big Three’ and the very, very top players in the world I have never faced,” Ruud had said after his semi-final win over Cilic.

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“I guess this is perfect timing and it was worth the wait. To finally play him in a Grand Slam final will be a special moment for me. Hopefully a little bit for him as well,” the 23-year-old had added.

The Norwegian also went on to acknowledge Nadal, who has 13 French Open titles, would be the favourite by far, saying, “On Sunday I will be the underdog, for sure, and Rafa will probably feel some of that pressure. So I will just try to enjoy the situation.”

“But I know that I will have to play even better than I did today if I want to have any chance at all, because he’s the greatest clay-court player of all time, as we know, and one of the greatest all-around players, if you ask me, of all time,” Ruud had further said.