Casper Ruud has opened up on his Nick Kyrgios rivalry and revealed why the feud with the Aussie firebrand is OVER… even though he’s yet to receive a Christmas card from the tennis star!
Norway’s world No.3 Casper Ruud smiled when asked about the status of his fight with Nick Kyrgios.
‘I didn’t get a Christmas card from her and she didn’t get Chrissie from me but if we meet we can say hello. There are no hard feelings,’ Ruud said on Wednesday at a Norwegian team media conference ahead of the United Cup.
The feud began in their first meeting at the Italian Open in 2019 when Kyrgios threw a chair and defaulted. After his win Ruud branded Kyrgios ‘an idiot on court’ and said he should be banned from tennis for six months.
Casper Ruud has revealed that his feud with Nick Kyrgios has weakened over the years
The Australian hit back on Twitter, daring Ruud to say it to his face and saying ‘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 into the camera after the win and said: ‘I can’t hear anyone talking right now. Nothing.’
The 24-year-old Ruud admitted there had been a ‘bit of a fight’ but added it had melted down.
‘You don’t want to have a fight with him because he probably wants to bring his game every time he plays you,’ he said.
Nick Kyrgios (left) and Rudd first fell out when they met for the first time in 2019
‘He came up to me at the Laver Cup last year in Boston and congratulated me after my victory so he was positive and cheered me on for the last year or so.
‘This is [good] to see him do well at Wimbledon [this year] and teaches himself to the final.’
Ruud said Kyrgios is ‘a fun character’ and is looking forward to a possible ‘fun match’ between the pair this summer, although it will not be at the United Cup following Kyrgios’ withdrawal from the Australian team on Wednesday.
Ruud was recognized for his fair play when fellow ATP players selected him as the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award winner for 2022.
Kyrgios beat Ruud in straight sets at Indian Wells in March, before looking straight into the camera after the win and saying: ‘I can’t hear anyone talking right now. Nothing.’
‘It’s nice to be “a good sport” as you say here in Australia,’ he said.
‘I’m so disgusted with myself. It’s not like I’m some kind of angel on the court but I think throughout the year I’ve been able to perform well enough to get this recognition from the players.’
Ruud missed the 2022 Australian Open after rolling his ankle a day before the start of the tournament but has enjoyed a superb year, reaching the final of both the French Open and the US Open.
He said he was excited about taking that form and confidence into next month’s Australian Open. ‘First we are here in the United Cup and we hope we can play well as a team,’ he said.
