“Victory belongs to the most tenacious” It should be a quote from Emperor Napoleon himself, but is as much an expression of the inner essence of gravel tennis that shines on the players inside the main arena Phillipe Chatrier at the Roland Garros facility west of Paris. The victory belongs to the most enduring. No one has been more enduring than Spanish Rafael Nadal. 14 victories in the world’s largest gravel tournament is almost incomprehensibly strong – and not least enduring. Opponent in the so far last of these incomparable triumphs in the French capital was a 23-year-old Norwegian. It was not the final Ruud and Norway hoped for. For that, Nadal was far too superior as the match developed. For the fourteenth time. THANKS: Casper Ruud and Rafael Nadal took each other by the hand after the match. Photo: BENOIT TESSIER / Reuters “I am not the first victim”, as Casper Ruud so laconically remarked in the speech of thanks after the final. But he can be the last. For the Spanish veteran is plagued by long-term injuries, which only makes this year’s performance even more impressive. And that throne is a Norwegian who wants to take over. The next in the royal line of tennis Therefore, in the bitter moment of defeat, we must not forget that this is an achievement far from what Norway as a nation has ever been close to. Casper Ruud’s father and coach, Christian, has been closest when he reached the 3rd round 25 years ago. THEN: Christian Ruud in the third round of the French Open. Opponent was Frenchman Arnaud Di Pasquale. Photo: MICHEL EULER / AP It stopped there. Christian Ruud himself has said he never believed in anything more. He was Norwegian. There was no tradition of believing that you could do anything more than fight your way into the top 40 in the world, as dad Ruud managed. But perhaps it was precisely the tiny little tradition that created the basis for what we experienced this Pentecost at the beginning of June 2022. The day when our own crown prince couple changed all plans to go to a tennis match. There they sat next to the Spanish king, Felipe VI. He had probably booked the trip a long time ago. Hopefully soon, the Norwegian royals can also start adding the Grand Slam tournaments as regular items in the calendar. Casper Ruud has long had an ambition that goes far higher than his father’s. Where only being the very best has been the natural goal. From now on, final places are the natural level of ambition every time Casper Ruud enters a Grand Slam tournament. Nothing less. The French Open has finally been concluded. These are not the discussions we should enjoy through the evening, tomorrow and summer. They about how big this actually was. That a Norwegian played in a singles final in a Grand Slam tournament, as happened in Paris in 2022. And of course it happened in France, the nation that for not entirely explanatory reasons has given Norway a disproportionate share of our greatest sports experiences – and not at least new heroes. DISAPPOINTED, BUT PROUD: Casper Ruud became historic when he became the first Norwegian to reach the final in Roland-Garros. Photo: THOMAS SAMSON / AFP Vive la Norvège It was in France that we got our greatest football heroes ever when Norway sensationally beat Brazil. It was necessarily where Dag Otto Lauritzen became the first Norwegian to win a stage in the world’s biggest stage race, the Tour de France in 1987. It was in France that our greatest golfer, Suzann Pettersen, won his first major tournament victory back in 2001. But also in the winter France has had its own magic when it comes to creating Norwegian sports heroes. It was there that Norway won its first Winter Olympic gold, when Thorleif Haug won the five-mile race in Chamonix in 1924. THE FIRST: Thorleif Haug in action, all the way back in 1924. Photo: Presse Sports / NTB Norway won the first female cross-country gold in a championship in Grenoble in the relay in 1968. There was also the first Olympic gold in the later parade branch biathlon by Magnar Solberg. When the Olympics were back in France in Albertville in 1992, it was there that the cross-country skiers finally broke the three-mile curse. That was where Johann Olav Koss became an Olympic hero. And it was on French snow that Finn Christian “Finken” Jagge won Norway’s first Olympic gold in slalom, after an epic duel with the Italian star Alberto Tomba. It was in Marseille in the south of the country that we had people in front of goal in June 1998. And it was in the same month in the same country 24 years later that a Norwegian tennis player for the first time in history qualified for a Grand Slam final. Her name is Ulrikke Eikeri and she came very surprisingly to the final in this year’s doubles tournament, together with her Belgian partner. The next day, Casper Ruud finished second. With this final place, Casper Ruud took the step up among Norway’s biggest ever. NEW GENERATION: Casper Ruud side by side with his role model, Rafael Nadal himself. Photo: THOMAS SAMSON / AFP Get on, Casper It has been an expressed dream for Casper Ruud to reach a final in the Grand Slam. So far this year has not come further than a 3rd round. And there is no point in spending time discussing whether Ruud was exceptionally lucky with the draw this time. It’s part of the game. If you want to win this type of tournament, as Ruud wants, then you have to beat everyone. The mentioned father Christian is also a coach for a while. As long as the progress continues as it does, it is also best for the son. Together, they have laid a foundation for more than 15 years. Now the next steps must be taken. Where it is Casper Ruud who has the unique power Nadal and Djokovic are still the only ones who really possess. MAIN SUPPORTER: Dad and coach Christian Ruud has a big impact on Ruud’s career. Photo: Erik Johansen / NTB “Accept the defeats and move on”, is the best advice Christian Ruud thinks he has given his unique son. The road ahead now goes to the world’s biggest tennis tournament on the grass at Wimbledon, which starts on 27 June. Ruud will hardly make it home to Norway before that time. His dog should probably be most happy about that right now. No dog on Snarøya that sounds like the name Rafa can expect anything from extra love in the coming days.
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