Casper Ruud opens up on Nick Kyrgios rivalry and reveals why feud with Aussie firebrand is OVER… although he is yet to receive a Christmas card from the tennis star!
Norway’s world No.3 Casper Ruud grinned when asked about the status of his feud with Nick Kyrgios.
‘I didn’t receive a Christmas card from him nor he a Chrissie one from me but if we see each other we can say hello. There are no hard feelings,’ said Ruud on Wednesday at a Norwegian team media conference ahead of the United Cup.
The feud started in their first meeting at the Italian Open in 2019 when Kyrgios threw a chair and was defaulted. After his win Ruud labelled Kyrgios ‘an idiot on the court’ and said he should be banned from tennis for six months.
Casper Ruud revealed his feud with Nick Kyrgios has mellowed down over the years
The Australian hit back on Twitter, daring Ruud to say it to his face and stating that he’d ‘rather watch paint dry then watch you play tennis’.
At Indian Wells this year Kyrgios beat Ruud 6-4 6-4 and looked straight down the camera after the win and said: ‘I hear no talking now. None.’
The 24-year-old Ruud conceded there had been ‘a little feud’ but added that it had thawed.
‘You don’t want to have a feud going on against him because he will probably want to bring his A game whenever he plays you,’ he said.
Nick Kyrgios (left) and Rudd first had a disagreement when they met for the first time in 2019
‘He came to me in the Laver Cup last year in Boston and congratulated me after my victory so he has been positive and cheering me on the last year or so.
‘It was [good] to see him do so well at Wimbledon [this year] and coaching himself to the final.’
Ruud said Kyrgios was ‘a fun character’ and looked forward to a possible ‘fun match’ between the pair this summer, although it won’t be in the United Cup after Kyrgios’ withdrawal from the Australian team on Wednesday.
Ruud was acknowledged for his fair play when he was selected by fellow ATP players as the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award winner for 2022.
Kyrgios beat Ruud in straight sets at Indian Wells back in March, before looking straight down the camera after the win and saying: ‘I hear no talking now. None.’
‘It is nice to be “a good sport” as you would say here in Australia,’ he said.
‘I get frustrated a lot myself. It is not like I am some kind of angel on court but I guess throughout the year I have been able to behave good enough to get this recognition from the players.’
Ruud missed the 2022 Australian Open after rolling his ankle a day before the tournament started but he has enjoyed a superb year, reaching the final of both the French Open and US Open.
He said he was excited about taking that form and confidence into the Australian Open next month. ‘First we are here in the United Cup and we hope we can play well as a team,’ he said.
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