Casper Ruud says whether he believes he’s been better on clay than Carlos Alcaraz since 2020

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Casper Ruud is playing his best tennis of the year and looks in good shape to challenge for the Italian Open title.

The Norwegian star began his clay-court campaign with two disappointing showings at the Monte-Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open.

A finalist and champion at the respective events in 2024, Ruud failed to reach the semi-finals of either tournament this time around.

Bouncing back in the Spanish capital, Ruud won the Madrid Open, picking up his first Masters 1000 title with a thrilling victory over Jack Draper.

Carrying that momentum through to the Italian Open, the 26-year-old picked up wins against Alexander Bublik, Matteo Berrettini, and Jaume Munar to advance to the quarterfinals.

During his post-match press conference, Ruud reacted to a statistic that proves just how dangerous he is on clay.

Casper Ruud admits Carlos Alcaraz has been better than him on clay over the past five years

The world number seven was told that he had won more matches on clay since 2020 than any other player on the ATP Tour, to which he provided a typically humble response.

“I mean, match wins are one thing, then of course, you do that at the biggest tournament, is another. I’ve had a little bit of both,” he said.

“I would consider [Carlos] Alcaraz has had a better four or five years on the surface. He won Paris, won Madrid a couple of times, and won Monte-Carlo. By far way more bigger titles than myself.

“Yeah, it’s been steady five years on this surface for me. That’s why I keep saying I love coming back here. I just kind of feel like I’m in my backyard.

“But that doesn’t mean I don’t lose matches on the surface. I have already lost a couple of matches this year. I’m on a good roll now.”

Ruud scored his 128th clay win since 2020 against Alcaraz’s fellow Spaniard, Munar, 6-3, 6-4, booking his place in the quarterfinals of the Italian Open.

There, he’ll face a tough test against the returning home-favorite Jannik Sinner, who hasn’t lost a professional match since October last year.

“Tomorrow will be one of the toughest matches of the year,” said Ruud.

“I got beaten pretty bad by Jannik [Sinner] last time in Turin. This time we’re playing in Italy again. It’s another surface, another tournament.

“He’s been looking good since the first match. I’ve been feeling pretty good, so it’s going to be a good one tomorrow.”

Casper Ruud and Jannik Sinner’s head-to-head record

Ruud has played Sinner three times on the ATP Tour, and has yet to win a set against the world number one.

• 2024 ATP Finals (SF) – Jannik Sinner beat Casper Ruud, 6-1, 6-2
• 2021 Vienna Open (QF) – Jannik Sinner beat Casper Ruud, 7-5, 6-1
• 2020 Vienna Open (1R) – Jannik Sinner beat Casper Ruud, 7-6, 6-3

Sinner dominated Ruud at the 2024 ATP Finals, dropping just three games as he advanced to the final in Turin.

The Norwegian will likely be more confident this time around, as he heads into the match riding a nine-match winning streak on clay.

The quarterfinal match between the pair will see the two players with the longest ATP Tour unbeaten runs face off: Sinner (24), Ruud (9).

Only one player can extend their streak when they take to the court searching for a place in the Italian Open semi-finals.

Sinner and Ruud will battle it out in the Rome quarterfinals on Thursday, May 15.