- Rafael Nadal and Casper Ruud meet in the French Open finals.
- Rafa is after his 14th title in Paris, while Ruud chases his first Grand Slam trophy.
- The odds on the Spaniard are at -550.
Will Casper Ruud be able to make a sensation and win his first Grand Slam title against the current record-holder, Rafael Nadal? Not only that, will he be able to stop the undisputed ruler of clay, in his own house, the place where he has won 13 titles so far.
According to the bookmakers, no. But tennis is a beautiful game, which often brings surprises when least expected. Ruud has nothing to lose, and he won’t have any pressure, unlike Nadal, who, to be honest, rarely showed any problems in such situations.
Rafael Nadal vs Casper Ruud Schedule
- When: Sunday, June 5 2022 at 9:00 a.m ET
- Where: Stade Roland Garros, Paris, France
- How to Watch: NBC/Peacock
Rafael Nadal vs Casper Ruud Odds
| Nadal | Ruud |
|---|---|
| -550 | +280 |
Roland Garros Preview
Nadal Making His Legacy Even Greater
After beating Novak in the quarterfinals, the Spaniard completed one task, and that was to keep the Serb away from him on the all-time Grand Slam list. The Spaniard has 21 trophies, while Djokovic has one fewer. Now he has a chance to increase that lead.
Besides that, he will reach his 14th title in Paris in case of winning, and set a record that probably won’t be broken. Ever. Despite him being a bit less convincing on clay this season and already suffering two losses, Rafa peaked his form when needed the most.
After confidently cruising through the opening three rounds, he encountered Felix Auger-Aliassime in the round of 16, surviving that clash, 2-3, and then beat Djokovic, 3-1. He won the semis due to Alexander Zverev’s injury in the closing moments of the second set.
Ruud Exploding
The Norwegian is the best-ever player in Norway’s history, and he is going to improve the rankings additionally following this tournament. Reaching the finals is a massive success for him, but why not try to win the title since he’s already here.
Ruud lost at least a set in all but one encounter in Paris, which was in the second round against Ruusuvuori. He eliminated Tsonga in the first round, Sonego, Hurkacz, Rune in the quarterfinals, and eventually Marin Cilic in the semis.
What we need to say is that he didn’t have an opponent from the top ten, and that the highest-ranking rival he faced was Hurkacz, who is currently 13th in the ATP rankings. For some, that diminishes his success and shows that he had luck.
Head to Head Prediction
These two guys had never met before.
Rafael Nadal vs Casper Ruud Prediction
Nadal is an absolute favorite here, and we believe that he won’t have any problems against Ruud, but the profits on his victory are too low. That is why we suggest taking Nadal winning in straight sets with the odds on that currently at -105. It is the best possible choice here, and we don’t see the Norwegian capable of taking a set from the king of clay.
Pick: Nadal -2.5 sets -105
