World number 15, Norway`s Casper Ruud, recently shared insights into his strategy for setting and pursuing objectives at each tennis tournament he participates in.
“Approaching every tournament with the mindset that you *must* win it can lead to significant disappointment,” Ruud explained. “It`s crucial to establish realistic targets. If I were to declare that I intend to win all the clay-court tournaments, that would be an unrealistic aspiration because I know I cannot achieve it. The only player who ever came close to such dominance was Nadal, and even he experienced defeats sometimes.”
He elaborated using the Madrid tournament as an example: “I felt that reaching the quarterfinals in Madrid was a very achievable and realistic objective for me. Should I reach that point, the initial goal is then superseded, and I would naturally aim higher. However, by having the quarterfinal as the primary target, I prevent myself from feeling excessive pressure.”
In the current ATP Masters 1000 event in Madrid, which runs from April 23rd to May 4th, Casper Ruud has successfully advanced to the fourth round. He is scheduled to compete against American player Taylor Fritz in his next match on April 29th.
