INTERNAZIONALI BNL D'ITALIA

May 12, 2026

Casper Ruud

Mixed Zone

C. RUUD/L. Musetti

6-3, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. (No microphone.)

CASPER RUUD: There is a risk of thinking about it too much because obviously we analyze the opponent a lot, no matter who you play.

Since I didn't play Lorenzo in a long time, I really did some research. I was watching a lot of his matches, especially here in Rome. Actually was watching live with Cerundolo the last match. Towards the end of the match he kind of looked a little bit struggling already. I realized that if that's the case, we try to make him run as much as possible.

It's cruel and it's brutal, but that's sport. You have to do everything you can to try to win matches. For me, every win is important. At the same time of course I wish him to be healthy and recover as fast as possible. But towards the end, of course, you could see that he was struggling. It was a shame for maybe the match and these things.

All in all that's the brutality of this sport, other sports as well. It's not easy to deal with pains and injuries. Give him credit for trying his best and doing what he could.

Q. I've seen situations where a player facing someone who is not 100%, they become tight and just put the ball in. What is the danger when playing in a situation like that?

CASPER RUUD: Yeah, I mean, it's a little bit of a balance. You're thinking when someone is healthy, fit, you expect them to be a really tough player to play no matter what. As soon as you can see they're struggling physically from the other guy, it's a balance of not overhitting, maybe doing mistakes and giving him free points, but also not giving him sitters or middle-of-the-court shots when he can go for big shots.

I find it quite more often than not when someone is playing without pressure, semi-injured, they tend to make a lot of these big shots they go for.

It's not easy. But I felt like I was in a good rhythm a good mood. I was backing myself. Realized I played a couple good matches here already, so let's keep it going.

Q. How much do you feel closer to your best form?

CASPER RUUD: Hmmm... I feel quite, quite close. I mean, it's funny because when I'm standing here today with the ranking that I have, which is worse than what I have been, I feel like I'm a better player than what I was two, three, four years ago. Ranking doesn't always kind of reflect on how you feel on court. That's okay.

I'm also realistic, realizing I lost a few matches that maybe I shouldn't have lost and didn't want to lose this year, where maybe I didn't do the years where I was top 10, top 5 in the world.

Quality of tennis is just rising and rising. Even though I feel like I've upped my level since two, three, four years ago, other players have done the same, or even more so. They have a better curve than myself. There's nothing wrong with that. I just have to accept it and keep working hard.

Some tournaments some matches will feel better than others. I really hope I can have a good result, keep going here in Rome, build some momentum going into the later stage of this tournament, going into Roland Garros, and the remainder of the season.

Q. When was the last time your opponent really lost his temper, smashed his racquet? What goes through your mind when that happens? How do you maintain your focus?

CASPER RUUD: Can't really remember. Probably was against Bublik, if I had to guess, some match we played. We have played each other quite many times. Here last year, for example. Probably that was the one. Typically a racquet is smashed if it doesn't go his favor. You try not to think about it. Warning is given. They probably stop after that.

There can be many reasons why you snap a racquet. Ultimately it's because you feel like you're not doing what you're supposed to or playing as good as you can. You get frustrated. You're doing too many unforced errors.

I've had the temptation. The temptation also has bit me in the past, but I've been able to withstand the temptation of doing it so far.

Q. (Question regarding traveling with an infant.)

CASPER RUUD: Yeah, I try to use it to what I can, to make only positives out of it. We are lucky and fortunate to be traveling with nanny who takes care of her during the night. It's something you have to kind of be prepared, an experience you need to take to be ready and fit and recovered for matches.

I think that's quite normal in the athletic world, athlete world, having someone taking care of your newborn in the night, watching her, sleeping with her, so yourself have enough rest and recovery.

During the days, it's a lot of hours spent in the club. At this time I try to spend my afternoons and evenings with her. That gives me a lot of joy, a smile on my face.

In the years to come, there will be a lot of different stages in her life. I hope to be there even more, of course, in the future. At this time in her life there's only so much I can do other than trying to make sure she has a comfortable and good life. For me and my wife and for her, we are lucky and fortunate to be in this situation.

But yeah, it's a balance.

Q. You ever think about how unique the tennis scoring system is? If you could change anything, what would it be?

CASPER RUUD: Talking about the scoring system, it's great because it's not limited to time. When I see other sports like football or soccer, basketball, ice hockey, that is based on time, when a team is too far ahead in the lead, they can kind of run the clock out. When you're a tennis player, you don't have that kind of possibility. You cannot just run the clock out. You need to go out there and win the match.

Even though you're leading or win the first set, you have to keep being aggressive. I think that's the beauty of this sport, you can be so close but yet so far.

If you look at only the scoring, for example last week in Madrid when I played Stefanos, the match was so tight and so close in all three sets. I walked off the court and I saw that I had won 15 more points than him. That's as close as you can get. I was actually winning a lot, more points than him. Even if I had lost the match, I probably would end up still winning more points than him and still losing the match.

It shows how small details and winning the important points, how important that can be. Many matches on the ATP Tour to me are decided by anywhere from two to five, six, crucial points in the match. If you win those, you can be on top. If not, it can be tough.

I think if you see the overall stat with the big three - Roger, Rafa, Novak - they won combined 53, 54 points of all the points they ever played in their career. They were that dominant. That just goes to show how close it is.

Q. Anything you would change?

CASPER RUUD: If I would change anything? It's a fun concept of no-ads. I think that's quite a fun concept of playing a deciding point because the nerves really kick in.

I really love the system as it is. There's not much that needs to be changed in the scoring system, I think.