Two-Time Finalist Ruud Makes Winning Start in Quest for French Open Title

Casper Ruud, a two-time French Open finalist, began his campaign for a maiden title in Paris with a commanding win over Brazilian qualifier Felipe Alves on Tuesday. The 25-year-old Norwegian, currently ranked seventh in the world and fresh off a victory in Geneva last week, looked confident on the Parisian clay, boasting a near 90% success rate on his first serves.

Ruud, who has finished as the runner-up in the last two French Open editions, capitalized on his opportunities early in the match. He earned three break points at 3-2 and continued to pressure Alves’ serve, eventually converting his seventh break point to take a 5-3 lead and secure the first set.

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Although Alves matched Ruud’s power for the first hour, errors began to creep into his game. Ruud remained steady and did not face a single break point in the second set. Another early break in the third set put Ruud firmly in control, and he wrapped up the match with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 victory in just under two hours.

Looking ahead, Ruud will face either Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot or Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the second round. Reflecting on his start, Ruud expressed his enthusiasm for the tournament: “This is one of the biggest tournaments for me and for everyone every year. One of my highlights. I’m always looking forward to it. The last two years have given me so much here in Paris. I hope I can make it another good year.”

Evaluating his clay season so far, Ruud acknowledged room for improvement but remained positive overall. “I think it’s been a good clay season for me. Madrid and Rome could’ve gone a bit better. It wasn’t what I hoped for. But other results went well. All in all I’m happy,” he concluded.