Casper Ruud’s relationship with clay has thus far been a successful one, given 11 of the 12 career titles he boasts came on that surface.
So, when Roland Garros comes around, he must hold out great hope given this is surely the Grand Slam where he really fancies his chances.
Having come so close but failed at the final hurdle twice already, it has been tough for the Norwegian to maintain his enthusiasm.
However, he will be buoyed by the advice that the great Roger Federer once gave to him, which has certainly aided him in his pursuits of that elite-level glory on the dirt.
Casper Ruud tells story about Roger Federer
Speaking just yesterday on Eurosport, the 25-year-old tennis star would recall a time when he played, and learned a lot from Federer, on these very courts.
Having just brushed aside Felipe Alves in a routine straight-sets first-round victory, Ruud has kickstarted his French Open campaign with style and comfort.
Of all of those within his generation, including the likes of Taylor Fritz, Andrey Rublev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev, few boast a proficiency like he has done over the years on this surface.
This has actually resulted in him reaching two finals, first losing to Rafael Nadal, and then to Novak Djokovic the year later.
Now, seeking to make it to that stage for a third consecutive year, but instead taking the final step when it is required, he will likely hark back to the information he was taught by Federer for inspiration.
He claimed: ‘I think one of the best ever is Roger and I played him here one time and he showed me that you don’t need to play only top spin on clay. You can come to the net, you can hit drop shots, you can knife a few slices and serve and volley.
‘There’s a few tricks in there as well. But for my game, the core of it is playing those heavy top spin balls, which you know how they are heavier on clay than any other surface and that’s the kind of court that I believe has brought me to two finals here, but if I want to do even better then maybe I need to develop other things like more aggression and coming to the net a bit more, as I know I need to stretch the opponent a bit.’
Casper Ruud will be hoping to finally win Roland Garros
This has been a strange clay season for Ruud, who normally thrives on this surface.
However, whilst he has picked up a couple of titles, he has also been dumped out disappointingly early in both Madrid and Rome.
His performances in Monte Carlo were impressive, and he would even record his first-ever win over Djokovic to reach the final before going completely missing at the vital stage against the aforementioned Greek star.
He would gain revenge the following tournament, in Barcelona, before Ruud thanked Tsitsipas for allowing him to at least win one of their matches.
However, he now has to put aside friendship and put together a winning run that spans two weeks to claim one of the ultimate prizes.
But with Federer’s advice and a history of starring at Roland Garros behind him, he can surely not go far wrong.
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