What is Casper Ruud’s all-time negative record in the finals of the ATP’s biggest tournaments?

There are different records in sports, some of which are a matter of pride and some to be avoided. However, Casper Ruud recently set a new record he would have wanted to avoid. On Sunday, Ruud became the tennis player with the most defeats in the finals of major tournaments since 1990, when the series of masters 1,000, or super 9, as they were called then, was established. Unfortunately, he has not been able to win any of these tournaments.

Ruud’s defeat against Stefanos Tsitsipas in Monte Carlo extended his negative streak to six consecutive losses - three at Grand Slams (two at Roland Garros and one at the US Open), two at Masters (Miami and Monte Carlo), and one at the final Masters.

Before Ruud, Kei Nishikori, Miloš Raonic, and Mardi Fish held the record with five consecutive losses each. However, their records are not as adverse because they didn’t have as many defeats on the big stage, like Grand Slams and Masters tournaments from the 1000 series.

Ruud has won ten titles, all in the 250 series. However, he hasn’t been able to do better than these tournaments. His loss in the only final of the 500 series in Acapulco shows how challenging it is for him to excel at these premier-tier tournaments.

Despite his recent setbacks, Ruud is optimistic and sees this year as a year of return. He had a great 2022 and played less well last season, but now he feels everything is better. He doesn’t feel any pressure and is not defending any titles. He continues to work hard towards a great triumph, hoping to win one day.

Losing but with a positive outcome at the end

Although he lost the final, Ruud greatly benefited from his performance in the Monaco Principality. He defeated Novak Djokovic for the first time and climbed to sixth place in the world rankings.

When asked about his performance, he shared that his season on clay started very well, and the victory against Djokovic was a fantastic achievement that boosted his confidence. He believes that defeating Novak will help him in future finals.

Ruud also admitted that he was not close to the trophy and that his opponent, Stefanos Tsitsipas, played exceptionally well. Stefanos won in two sets and didn’t give him a chance. Ruud also thinks that he didn’t manage to give his best, possibly due to fatigue after the difficult match with Djokovic. This week, Ruud is playing in Barcelona as the third seed. He is free to start, has an excellent chance to continue with impressive results, and maybe finally win something big.