US Open: Carlos Alcaraz VS Casper Ruud – who holds the advantage?

Thus, both will fancy their chances of breaking their Grand Slam duck at the final significant event of the year. But who exactly holds the edge going into the final? 

Firstly, it is worth noting the similarities between the two. Alcaraz and Ruud have been tipped to do great things on clay, which is reflected in their careers up until now. 

However, glancing at their hard court statistics tells a different story. 

Ruud has a respectable 12-6 record on hard courts in 2022; understandable in some ways since his best surface is clay. 

But Alcaraz, despite being much younger and possessing a game best suited to clay, Alcaraz has a much better 14-4 record on hard courts this year. 

Moreover, Alcaraz has been a revelation on hard courts through the 2022 season. He’s been the player with the highest percentage of points won on hard courts throughout this calendar year. 

He’s won 54.12% of points he’s contested on hard courts this year – ahead of Daniil Medvedev, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev. 

He also won the Miami Masters title in 2022, a hard-court ATP 1000 event. Thus, it is safe to say that the teen sensation is in the proper form to win the US Open outright. 

Ruud, by contrast, has only won 1 title on hard courts out of his nine titles overall; that too came in 2021 in San Diego. Besides that, all of his eight titles have been won on clay. 

Yet there is one advantage Ruud has that Alcaraz doesn’t: he’s played in the final of a Grand Slam this year. That only final appearance came in the 2022 French Open, where he lost in straight sets to Rafael Nadal. 

However, knowing the pressures of contending in a Grand Slam final would have doubtless helped Ruud be better prepared when his next opportunity finally came knocking. 

And this time, he isn’t facing a multi-time Grand Slam winner; he’s facing someone who’s never made it this far in a Grand Slam until now. 

But, if there is one thing that Alcaraz has shown, he, like his idol Rafael Nadal, doesn’t have any quit. 

This is evident in his path to the final; his last three matches have gone the distance, with him having played more than 10 hours of tennis before even facing Francis Tiafoe in the semis. 

That Tiafoe also took him the distance but couldn’t emerge victorious is a testament to the willpower of Alcaraz. 

But Ruud will be equally determined to win his maiden Grand Slam, and a young Alcaraz is at least an easier foe on paper than Nadal. 

One thing is for sure; whoever emerges victorious on the night will have thoroughly earned the right to call themselves a Grand Slam champion. 

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