Norwegian Casper Rudd is only 23 but has already surpassed the achievements of his father Christian, considered by many to be Norway’s finest tennis export. After equalling Rudd Sr. by reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open in 2021, he would outdo him by reaching the quarter-finals in the ongoing French Open. Not content to find himself in the final eight, he dismissed the feisty Dane Holger Rune over four sets. Setting up a semi-final showdown with veteran Marin Cilic, the red clay of Paris holds much promise for young Casper. 

With eight singles titles to his name, the Norwegian has been living up to expectations surrounding him since his days as Junior world no. 1. After years of grinding out in the lower levels of the tour, he enjoyed his breakout year in 2021. Building from his first ATP Title in the Argentina Open in 2020, he would win five more in the year, including three in three weeks, making him the first since Andy Murray to achieve this feat. Beginning his trophy run at Geneva, he would claim further trophies in the Swedish Open, the Swiss Open and the Generali Open in Kitzhubel, Austria. With all his wins coming on clay, Casper’s ease on the surface was evident to the tennis fraternity. 

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However, his run of trophies would come to an end in the 2021 Canada Masters. After scything through the pack to reach the quarter-finals, the youngster was upstaged by maverick Stefano Tsitsipas in straight sets. Irrespective, his performances were good enough to see him post a career-best ranking of 12. It would improve further as the year went on! After a string of clay-court successes, Casper ghosted through the pack in San Diego, clinching his first ATP title on hard court. Defeating Andy Murray, Lorenzo Sonogo, Gregor Dimitrov and Cameron Norrie en route to the title, he was fast becoming a Rudd awakening for many a seasoned campaigner on tour. The year would end with a semi-final appearance in the 2021 ATP Tour Finals. After losing to Djokovic in the opening group game, he would recover to see off Cameron Norrie and Russian Andrey Rublev to reach the semis. Losing to Russian hotshot and hard-court specialist Daniel Medvedev, the Scandinavian upstart have to settle for a final-four finish. 

His bright 2021 would see him rise to no. 8 in the rankings, setting him up for a stronger 2022. Missing out on the Australian Open due to an injury, Rudd did not waste much time getting back in the groove. In the lead-up to this year’s French Open, he would claim his sixth clay-court trophy and seventh overall in Argentina. He would also reach his first ATP 1000s final in Miami, losing to Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz. A semi-final showing in the Italian Open would be followed by his second title of the year, winning the Geneva Open after a lengthy match against Joao Sousa. 

In the ongoing French Open, prior to defeating Rune, he had seen off Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, Emil Ruusuvuori, Lorenzo Sonego and Hubert Hurkacz.