Casper Ruud’s Potential Rise in the Clay Court Season: A Closer Look at His 2023 Earth Spring Campaign

Casper Ruud

• Age : 25 ans
• ATP ranking: 8th with 3615 points
• Points during Earth Spring 2023: 1900 or 52.6%
• Title(s) to defend: Estoril

Its dynamic: Rather positive. Certainly, Casper Ruud did not burst onto the screen like two years ago when he reached the final in Miami for example. But his quarter-final in Indian Wells and his two consecutive finals in Los Cabos and Acapulco showed that he was capable of bouncing back on hard court after a disappointing start at the Australian Open (3rd round). On European ocher, its favorite surface, it should a priori express itself even better.

What Earth Spring can change for him: A lot of things. The two-time finalist coming out of Roland-Garros (2022 and 2023) is the only player in the Top 15 to put more than half of his points into play over the next two months. If he doesn’t find his rhythm, Casper Ruud will quickly no longer be among the 10 best in the world. But his very solid grounding fundamentals should allow him to limit the damage and not fall much further.

Ruud gave a little tennis lesson on earth to the promising Shelton: the summary

Holger Rune

• Age : 20 ans
• ATP ranking: 7th with 3795 points
• Points during Earth Spring 2023: 1855 or 48.9% of its capital
• Title(s) to defend: Munich

Its dynamics: Worrying. Certainly, since he rehired Patrick Mouratoglou as head coach, Holger Rune has seen his results improve (half at Acapulco, quarter at Indian Wells). But his recent outright elimination at Miami has tempered this renewed enthusiasm, even if the Dane explained that he was in no condition to play. His current 16th place in the Race says a lot about the doubts that currently surround him despite his ambitions displayed in the off-season.

What Earth Spring can change for him: His status. Holger Rune was supposed to form with Carlos Aclaraz and Jannik Sinner the “Big 3” of the future, and in recent months, his cohorts have clearly left him behind. The gap could turn into a chasm if the Dane does not react on clay. This spring therefore promises to be fundamental. He will have to raise his level drastically from April in Monte-Carlo where he is an outgoing finalist, as in Rome a few weeks later. A hell of a challenge awaits him but also a great opportunity to bounce back.

More lively and more precise, Rune disgusted Djokovic

Stefanos Tsitsipas

• Age : 25 ans
• ATP ranking: 12th with 3175 points
• Points during Earth Spring 2023: 1380 or 43.5% of its capital
• Title(s) to defend: –

Its dynamic: Catastrophic. The term may seem too strong, excessively alarmist, but for a player of the standing of Stefanos Tsitsipas, double Grand Slam finalist and still world number 3 a little over a year ago, it is appropriate. The Greek can no longer win against members of the Top 10, his best result at the start of the season is a semi-final in Los Cabos and he is currently outside the Top 20 in the Race (24th). Its downgrading is confirmed.

What Earth’s spring can change for him: Paradoxically not much. Certainly, Stefanos Tsitsipas puts almost half of his points into play and he can sink further. At this rate, his place in the Top 15 or even the Top 20 is threatened – Ugo Humbert could also benefit from his misfortune like that of Ruud and Rune – but this would only be the extension of a long-term negative dynamic. course. The real change for him would be a reaction of pride (linked to a change in structure?) on a clay court that he particularly appreciates.

Medvedev too solid, Tsitsipas too inconsistent: the summary of the victory of “Daniil the dancer”

Andrey Rublev

• Age : 26 ans
• ATP ranking: 6th with 4890 points
• Points during Earth Spring 2023: 1420 or 29% of its capital
• Title(s) to defend: Monte-Carlo

Its dynamics: A real trough to watch. Andrey Rublev is one of the most consistent players on the circuit, he rarely loses below a certain level, his quarter at the Australian Open showed it again. But since his breakdown and his disqualification in the semi-finals in Dubai, he has marked time, as evidenced by his rapid eliminations in Indian Wells (3rd round) and Miami (2nd round when he entered the fray).

What the Earth spring can change for him: Like the players mentioned above, he will be in a defensive position from Monte-Carlo where he is the title holder. It is difficult to see him re-enter the world Top 5, as Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev have to gain over this period and are in good shape (respectively 2nd and 3rd in the Race). But in May, he will have big points to pick up in Madrid and Rome and the solidity of his average level remains a great assurance.

An undecided final until the end and a first Masters 1000 for Rublev: the summary

Carlos Alcaraz

• Age : 20 ans
• ATP ranking: 2nd with 8645 points
• Points during Earth Spring 2023: 2265 points or 26.2% of its capital
• Title(s) to defend: Barcelona and Madrid

Its dynamic: Interesting without being irresistible. Found in Indian Wells after months of doubt, Carlos Alcaraz half-confirmed in Miami. He showed a high level of tennis but was surprised in the quarter-finals by an exceptional Grigor Dimitrov. Despite everything, confidence and enthusiasm seem to be returning. Above all, in the Californian desert, the Murcian showed how the high bounces and the slowness of the surface suited him, like a taste of European ocher…

What the Earth spring can change for him: Carlos Alcaraz will be under pressure. In absolute value, he put more points into play this spring than each of the players previously mentioned. In his fight for the place of world number 2, he is much more exposed than Jannik Sinner who only has 585 units to defend. He is therefore condemned to refuel, but he will have a big chance to play from the Masters 1000 in Monte-Carlo in which he was unable to participate last year. Enough to give him courage.

Struff made him doubt, but Alcaraz wanted his double more than anything: the summary

Novak Djokovic

• Age : 36 ans
• ATP ranking: 1st with 9725 points
• Points during Earth Spring 2023: 2315 or 23.8% of its capital
• Title(s) to defend: Roland-Garros

Its dynamic: Stalled. Still triumphant at the Masters in November in the wake of an exceptional 2023 season, Novak Djokovic did not start 2024 so brilliantly. While he had a “tradition” of winning the Australian Open, he was defeated in the semi-final by Jannik Sinner. Then, he suffered a much more surprising setback in the 3rd round of Indian Wells against Luca Nardi (then 123rd). He recently announced that he was parting ways with his coach Goran Ivanisevic, a sign that this first quarter failure for him – he is 12th in the Race – alerted him.

What the earthly spring can change for him: Let’s say it clearly, Novak Djokovic can lose the throne, and more likely to Jannik Sinner than to Carlos Alcaraz. But his situation is paradoxical: he is the one who puts the most points into play on clay, but these do not weigh so heavily in his balance sheet. The 720 units that Taylor Fritz (13th) must defend, for example, are more fundamental for him (26% of his capital), even if including the American in this list would not make much sense. The summer will, in fact, be more important for the Serb.

Two well-conducted sets to reach the quarters: Djokovic gains momentum

2024-04-01 21:35:00
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