Casper Ruud has become a formidable force in men’s tennis for the past two years. In 2022, Ruud reached the final of the French Open and US Open but fell to Rafael Nadal in both. Besides that, the tennis star has 10 ATP Tour titles in his trophy cabinet and made it twice to the Nitto ATP Finals but not in 2023.
Ruud is currently ranked No.7 in the world and became the highest-ranked Norwegian player in August 2022 when he reached no.2. Yet, in all the success, Casper has always talked about his sister Charlotte Ruud, who has always been one of his biggest motivations.
Who is Charlotte Ruud?
Charlotte Ruud is the youngest sister of Casper Ruud. At just 17 years of age, the youngster has shown immense tennis talent and is sure to be making waves in no distant time. Charlotte Ruud is a big fan of her brother and father, Christian Ruud, and always says that she is following in their footsteps. She is presently training hard to become a tennis professional, currently ranked 1501 in the ITF junior ranking, with her highest ranking achieved on the 18th of August when she reached 1433.
Also, she trained at the prestigious and world-class Rafael Nadal Academy, like her brother. Charlotte Ruud has been admitted to the University of South Florida to play college tennis, and it is believed that it will be the best place to hone her talent. She carries with her the support of a close-knit family and a brother who knows firsthand the challenges and triumphs of the journey.
Did Charlotte Ruud train at Rafael Nadal’s academy?
In August, Charlotte Ruud got into the Rafael Nadal Academy. Her brother Casper is all well-known graduate of the institution and has not failed to impress on the court. Charlotte announced her dream admission into the academy via Instagram story: “It’s always a big dream to become No. 1. I have a pretty good example as my brother. There is still a long way to go,” Charlotte Ruud said.
In a recent interview Casper Ruud opened up about his Charlotte game and training. He revealed that Charlotte often attends WTA tournaments to observe top players and learn from their training regimens and performances in matches.
“Who knows how far she can reach. She comes to tournaments sometimes and tries to learn from the women’s players,” he said.
Casper Ruud also admitted that Charlotte has a good style of play and that she has taken after their father in terms of having a stronger backhand than forehand. The 24-year-old also feels that training at the Rafael Nadal Academy has helped Charlotte develop too.
“She has a great backhand. You know, my dad, from what I’ve heard, he used to have a better backhand than forehand. So I think she has inherited that and skipped me. She has a very beautiful and clean backhand. The forehand is maybe a bit wild sometimes, but she goes for the winners, which is good,” Ruud said.
“She’s aggressive and she’s improving a lot which is great to see. She started a bit late compared to other players her age but she’s improved a lot and I think the academy has also helped her a lot,” he added.
Will Charlotte Rudd reach her best and perhaps surpass her brother and fans expectation? Only time will tell, as she is just 17, many years of hard work is needed and most especially patience.
