Ruud Banking on French Open Experience for Deep Run after ‘Up and Down’ Season

Casper Ruud of Norway celebrates after beating J.J. Wolf of the United States after their second round match, at the Geneva Open tennis tournament in Geneva, Switzerland, Wednesday, May 24, 2023. (AP)
Casper Ruud of Norway celebrates after beating J.J. Wolf of the United States after their second round match, at the Geneva Open tennis tournament in Geneva, Switzerland, Wednesday, May 24, 2023. (AP)
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Ruud Banking on French Open Experience for Deep Run after ‘Up and Down’ Season

Casper Ruud of Norway celebrates after beating J.J. Wolf of the United States after their second round match, at the Geneva Open tennis tournament in Geneva, Switzerland, Wednesday, May 24, 2023. (AP)
Casper Ruud of Norway celebrates after beating J.J. Wolf of the United States after their second round match, at the Geneva Open tennis tournament in Geneva, Switzerland, Wednesday, May 24, 2023. (AP)

World number four Casper Ruud admitted his preparation going into the French Open has not been ideal but is counting on his experience from his final run last year and the ability to endure five setters to go deep at Roland Garros.

Ruud reached his first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros last year, but the Norwegian was swept aside by Rafa Nadal in straight sets as the Spaniard won his 14th crown on the Parisian clay.

Ruud has played in six claycourt tournaments in the build-up to the French Open and won the title in Estoril, but he struggled in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Madrid before a semi-final run in Rome and a quarter-final exit in Geneva.

"It's been going up and down, a little bit similar to what happened last year," Ruud told reporters.

"But I'm coming here with good confidence, it's best-of-five sets on clay. I have proven to myself and others from last year that I can do well and win many matches.

"It's nice being back here, live through the memories that I have from last year and the belief that I can do well here obviously grows when you have done it at least once before. I'm hoping for a good run now in these two weeks."

Ruud plays Sweden's Elias Ymer in an all-Scandinavian, first-round clash and the 24-year-old Norwegian said their friendship will be put aside when they face off after the Swede came through qualifiers without dropping a set.

"He's one of the few guys that I sometimes go out to dinner with, him and his brother (Mikael). I actually feel like a good friend off court. So it's going to be fun," Ruud said.

"He's a couple years older than me, so I really looked up to him when I was younger... He deserves to be here in the main draw and I'm going to treat him like any other opponent, a tough one."



Alcaraz Crowned King of Queen's for Second Time

Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrates with his trophy after winning against Jiri Lehecka of Czechia during their final match at the Queen's Club Championships tennis tournament in London, Britain, 22 June 2025.  EPA/ANDY RAIN
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrates with his trophy after winning against Jiri Lehecka of Czechia during their final match at the Queen's Club Championships tennis tournament in London, Britain, 22 June 2025. EPA/ANDY RAIN
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Alcaraz Crowned King of Queen's for Second Time

Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrates with his trophy after winning against Jiri Lehecka of Czechia during their final match at the Queen's Club Championships tennis tournament in London, Britain, 22 June 2025.  EPA/ANDY RAIN
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrates with his trophy after winning against Jiri Lehecka of Czechia during their final match at the Queen's Club Championships tennis tournament in London, Britain, 22 June 2025. EPA/ANDY RAIN

Carlos Alcaraz clinched his second Queen's Club title as the world number two warmed up for Wimbledon with a 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2 win against Jiri Lehecka in Sunday's final.

Alcaraz blasted 33 winners and 18 aces to subdue the gritty Czech world number 30 in two hours and 10 minutes in west London.

Having won titles on clay at the French Open, Rome and Monte Carlo, as well as the hard courts of Rotterdam, Alcaraz has now collected five trophies in 2025.

The 22-year-old has not lost since the Barcelona final against Holger Rune on April 20 and is enjoying the longest winning streak of his career with 18 successive victories, AFP reported.

Top seeded Alcaraz is just the second Spanish man to win Queen's twice after Feliciano Lopez, who lifted the trophy in 2017 and 2019.

"I'm happy to lift this trophy once again. It's a nightmare to play against Jiri, but it's been an incredible week," Alcaraz said.

"I came without expectations. I just wanted to play good tennis and get used to the grass.

"It's really special playing here every year. I can't wait to come back next year."

For a player raised on the clay courts of Spain, Alcaraz has developed into a formidable force on grass.

The former world number one signalled his emergence on the surface by winning Queen's in 2023.

He clinched the Wimbledon title for the first time just weeks later and defended his All England Club crown last year.

Alcaraz, who has an 11-1 career record at Queen's, will start his bid for a third successive Wimbledon title on June 30.

After his semi-final win over Roberto Bautista Agut on Saturday, Alcaraz fired an ominous message to his Wimbledon rivals, warning that his "grass-court mode" had been activated.

And on the evidence of his relentless display against the obdurate Lehecka, he is in no mood to surrender his All England Club crown.

Playing his first tournament since his epic French Open victory against Jannik Sinner two weeks ago, Alcaraz's march to the Queen's showpiece made it five consecutive finals for the Spaniard.

In contrast, Lehecka was playing in his first grass-court final after a shock win against British star Jack Draper in the last four.

The 23-year-old was the first Czech in the Queen's final since Ivan Lendl in 1990.

Lehecka had come from a set down to stun Alcaraz in the Qatar Open quarter-finals in February.

But there would be no repeat of that upset on the lawns of Barons Court.

In his second Queen's final, Alcaraz had an early chance to break in the fifth game of the first set.

Lehecka thundered down an ace to get out of trouble of that occasion.

But the five-time Grand Slam champion matched Lehecka's serve blow for blow, dropping just one point in his first four service games.

Alcaraz's piercing ground-strokes increased the pressure and Lehecka finally cracked in the the 11th game when an badly-timed double-fault gifted the first break to the Spaniard.

Alcaraz served out the set in typically ruthless fashion, but Lehecka refused to surrender without a fight.

A tight second set stayed on serve all the way through to the tie-break and, for once, Alcaraz stumbled with a key double-fault, allowing Lehecka to level the match.

Alcaraz was unfazed, breaking for a 3-1 lead in the deciding set when Lehecka netted an off-balance forehand.

Alcaraz had the finish line in sight and he wrapped up his latest title triumph with a flurry of searing winners.