The ATP player Rafael Nadal said he would ‘love’ to win a trophy who is now being tipped as a big threat to win Roland Garros

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Rafael Nadal has gone down in tennis history for his extraordinary feats, having called time on his career last year.

Alex de Minaur has just outshone Nadal at the Monte Carlo Masters, although it is the latter who remains the king of that competition.

Nadal won a stunning 11 Monte Carlo Masters titles during his glittering career, having really come alive on clay.

The former ATP number one also won 14 French Open titles, with a total of 22 Grand Slam titles won during his time on the court.

The undisputed King of Clay, Nadal never dreamt of such success, with only Novak Djokovic ahead of him in the all-time men’s Grand Slam list.

Rafael Nadal said he would ‘love’ Casper Ruud to win a trophy after 2022 French Open final

Djokovic has 24 to his name, and once again has the opportunity to extend that tally at the French Open next month.

The tournament fittingly represents Nadal’s last-ever Grand Slam success, having beaten Casper Ruud in the 2022 French Open final.

Along with being congratulated, the champion was asked post match about his many practice matches with Ruud, and if the Norwegian ever had any success in those.

READ MORE: The three ATP players who could fly on clay without Rafael Nadal playing for the first time since 2002

“I don’t remember, no,” said the Spaniard. “Sorry. I don’t know the practices. But Casper is a great player. He’s going to be the fourth in the race now.

“Very high position in the ranking, improving every year, because in the past has been only a great player on clay.

“Now he’s winning titles and fighting for the most important events in the other surfaces too. That’s, for me, that’s the most important thing in the sport, no?

“The value of the daily work. He has it. He’s improving all the time, and even if today probably was a tough day for him, I’m sure that he’s very proud and his team is very proud of him, no?

“All the things that he’s achieving are huge, no? So very happy for him, for his family. We know each other very well. I know how healthy and good people they are. I would love to see him with a trophy in the future.”

What ATP titles has French Open contender Casper Ruud won?

Nadal remarkably won a 22nd and final Grand Slam title at the 2022 French Open, with Ruud having only just started his journey in that regard.

The Norwegian made his first-ever Grand Slam final in Paris that year, in which he suffered a 3–6, 3–6, 0–6 loss.

READ MORE: Holger Rune picks who he thinks is ‘possibly the best player in the world’ on clay courts right now

But his heartbreak at that level hasn’t ended there, with Ruud also losing the 2022 US Open and 2023 French Open finals.

He has, however, been tipped for success at Roland Garros this time around, with Sam Querrey backing Ruud to win the French Open.

The 26-year-old has enjoyed huge success in his career amid those final losses, having won 12 ATP titles overall.

Currently ranked seventh in the world, he has managed to reach number two, and is a formidable figure on clay.

But after reaching last year’s Monte Carlo Masters final, Ruud did suffer a disappointing round of 16 loss to Alexei Popyrin earlier this week.