Photo by Anthony Dibon/Icon Sport
Alexander Zverev vs Casper Ruud: Roland Garros – semifinal
In a rematch of last year’s Roland Garros semifinal, Alexander Zverev will take on Casper Ruud on Friday.
Alexander Zverev Profile
Alexander Zverev is fourth in the ATP rankings, two spots lower than his career high. The German is 33-9 for the season and 18-6 on clay.
Zverev is coming off a 6-4, 7-6, 6-4 quarterfinal win over Alex de Minaur. Previously, he defeated Holger Rune and Tallon Griekspoor in five sets and David Goffin and Rafael Nadal in straight sets.
Zverev won the title in Rome the week before Roland Garros. He also reached the semifinals at the Australian Open, Los Cabos, and Miami.
Zverev made his debut at Roland Garros in 2015 and made it to the semifinals in his last three appearances.
Casper Ruud Profile
Casper Ruud is seventh in the ATP rankings, and his career high was No. 2 in the world. The Norwegian is 39-10 for the season and 21-4 on clay.
Ruud had a break, skipping the quarterfinals after Novak Djokovic withdrew from the tournament. Previously, he defeated Taylor Fritz, Tomas Martin Etcheverry, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, and Felipe Meligeni Rodrigues Alves.
Ruud won two titles this season in Barcelona and Geneva. He also made it to the finals in Monte Carlo, Acapulco, and Los Cabos.
Ruud made it to the finals in the last two French Open tournaments, losing to Rafael Nadal in 2022 and Novak Djokovic last year.
Head-to-Head 2-2
- Ruud vs Zverev 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 (2023 Roland Garros, semifinal)
- Ruud vs Zverev 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 (2022 ATP Miami, quarterfinal)
- Zverev vs Ruud 7-5, 6-4 (2021 ATP Masters Paris, quarterfinal)
- Zverev vs Ruud 6-1, 6-3 (2021 ATP Cincinnati, quarterfinal)
Prediction and Conclusion
This is Zverev’s fourth consecutive French Open semifinal and the third straight for Ruud, with the difference that only the Norwegian has made it to the finals after beating Zverev last year at the same stage of the tournament. Zverev had a couple of big challenges in the tournament, going to the fifth set twice. On the other hand, Ruud had an extra day off after skipping the quarterfinals. That will definitely have an impact on the match, and Ruud is going in as the favorite. Last year, Ruud defeated Zverev in straight sets, winning the third one to love. He will not be as dominant this year, but he will make it to his third straight final at Roland Garros.
