– It has been a very cool day in my life. That’s what a smiling Nicolai Budkov Kjær tells news after completing an intense training session with tennis star Andrej Rubljov. The Russian is in Oslo in connection with the “Ultimate Tennis Showdown” tournament, where stars such as Casper Ruud, Holger Rune and Rubljov himself participate. The tennis elite have been at Telenor Arena in Fornebu to prepare for the tournament. And this is where Kjær comes in. At short notice, he was asked by world number five Rubljov if he could come and train with him. TALENT: Nicolai Budkov Kjær, pictured here in connection with the Australian Open Junior earlier this year. Photo: Privat / NTB – I free up a lot of space in the calendar for the opportunity to play with those who are incredibly good, says Kjær, who in addition to Rubljov, also got to play with former Grand Slam winner Dominic Thiem. Rublyov: – Has what it takes. It comes in handy for a 17-year-old who has started to make a name for himself in the tennis world. – It is incredibly motivating. I am pleased to have the opportunity to train with such good players. Tennis is a sport that is difficult to measure, you cannot measure like in sprinting. Then you have to measure yourself against the best in the world and that’s what I got the opportunity to do, says Kjær, who notices that these sessions are something completely his own: – They play incredibly well, and that’s what makes the difference: They play well over incredibly long time. You only know quality in every stroke. Rublyov, who is ranked number five in the world and who recently made it to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, was impressed by his nine-year-younger training partner. – It is difficult to say as he is still a junior, but he has a fantastic stroke, good height and what it takes to become a great tennis player. Training with him was great, he worked hard and played very well. He was respectful and is a nice boy, says Rubljov. LOVANDE: Andrej Rubljov took plenty of time to talk to news in connection with this weekend’s “Ultimate Tennis Showdown” at Fornebu. Photo: Erlend Havsgård Martinsen / news He believes in a bright future for Kjær, who in January delivered his best result so far in his career. He still in third place in the junior edition of the Australian Open. – There are many people out there who are better than me, but it’s nice that he likes the way I play and maybe likes the way I am too, says Kjær. Coach with the stars Kjær is ranked number four in the junior rankings, and last autumn made his Norwegian debut in the Davis Cup. He already has a lot of experience this fall for a 17-year-old, and Rubljov is far from the only star he has trained with. He has sparred a lot with Casper Ruud, and while he was in Australia he trained with Daniil Medvedev (number three in the world ranking) and Jannik Sinner, who won the Australian Open and is number four in the world ranking. IMPRESSED DANISH: Holger Rune has allowed himself to be impressed by Nicolai Budkov Kjær. Photo: Erlend Havsgård Martinsen / news He has also trained with Holger Rune. The Dane tells news that he remembers the session with Kjær, which took place in Monte Carlo. – He is a great player. It is difficult to really know when you are just standing and hitting with someone, because there are many who have good timing, but he is young and has good shots. He pushed hard in the training sessions we had. He hopefully has a bright future, but he still has a long way to go, says Rune, who is ranked number seven in the world. – Plays aggressive tennis Another person who has been impressed by Kjær is compatriot Casper Ruud. The Norwegian tennis star thinks it’s great that a new Norwegian is on the way up and ahead in tennis. TAKING IN: Casper Ruud during a training session at Fornebu. Photo: Erlend Havsgård Martinsen / news – He is a tough guy with high ambitions and goals. He certainly has the game and the potential to go very far, says Ruud to news. Ruud, currently ranked number 12 in the world, believes Kjær has made great strides in the past year, and does not underestimate the importance of getting training sessions with players like Rubljov. – Nicolai likes to play hard and hit the ball aggressively. I maybe play a slightly different type of tennis, so he probably learns more from playing with Andrej than with me, says Ruud and laughs. Ruud knows a thing or two about training with the world’s best. Among other things, he moved to Mallorca to train with superstar and childhood idol Rafael Nadal. TRAIN WITH THE IDOL: Casper Ruud always got to train with and learn from Rafael Nadal. Here are the two of them together in 2020. Photo: Margret Helland / news But he is aware that it will be something completely different when Kjær eventually moves on to senior and professional level. – There have been juniors who have been superstars and haven’t been able to do it at senior level and vice versa. It will be very exciting to watch, says Ruud. No lucky charm Training partner Rubljov is also excited about Kjær’s future, and thinks how he attacks the details will be decisive. – He has what it takes, so the question is how he works for it. There are many juniors who have been great talent, but who later don’t want to do the job, says Rubljov, and underlines: – He has good height and good strokes, so the question is whether he uses these things in the right way. HIGH FIVE: Andrej Rubljov and Nicolai Budkov Kjær after an intense training session. Photo: Erlend Havsgård Martinsen / news The first time the two trained together, in Monte Carlo, even Rubljov won the Monte Carlo Masters tournament. Should Rubljov wreak havoc on Fornebu this weekend, Kjær might want to point himself out as a lucky charm for the Russian. – I hope not. Then he has to take me to many tournaments. I have my own career to take care of, so I have to hope there are other things that give him luck, smiles Kjær.
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