Casper Ruud opened his French Open campaign with a powerful performance, defeating Albert Ramos-Vinolas in straight sets. The two-time Roland Garros finalist extended his perfect record in tournament openers to 8-0 with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory. Ruud advanced to the second round, where he will face Nuno Borges of Portugal, after winning 34 games.
This match marked Ramos-Vinolas’ final participation at the clay-court major, since the Spanish veteran intends to retire this season. Ruud highlighted their common history and his early problems against Ramos, stating that each game was fought hard, despite the straight-set victory. He reflected on his progress since their first encounters and expressed enthusiasm for returning to Roland Garros.
Although he was unable to attend Rafael Nadal’s goodbye ceremony in person, Ruud watched from a distance as a plaque honouring the 14-time French Open winner was installed on Court Philippe-Chatrier. Ruud, who lost to Nadal in the 2022 final, referred to the event as exceptional and the court as Nadal’s zone.
Ruud, who has won the most clay-court matches since 2020, is a serious contender this year and might face defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals.
