Casper Ruud admitted on Saturday that Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz were on another level, but the Norwegian is confident he can return to the world top five this season and challenge the best again.
The 26-year-old has won two tournaments in 2024 in Geneva and Barcelona and is currently ranked sixth.
He reached the finals of the French Open and the US Open in 2022, setting a career high for two wins.
“It would have been a good year if we could finish the year in the top 10, but I think top five is possible and definitely within reach,” he said at the United Cup in Sydney in 2025. When asked about his goals, he said:
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“If you look at the players, in my eyes, Jannik and Carlos both had a great two years.
“Those are the two that most people are paying attention to and mentioning these days. It will be difficult to deal with them, but apart from that, I think there is potential for change in the top five. ”
Sinner is currently world number one with a lead of more than 3,000 points over Alexander Zverev, followed by Alcaraz with three points, Taylor Fritz with four points and Daniil Medvedev with five points.
“Everyone has a competitive spirit,” Ruud said.
“I think we showed last year that if we play well, especially early on, we can put ourselves in a position to advance a little bit further. I’ve been there before, so that’s a lofty goal.”
Playing better at the Grand Slams is also on his agenda after a lackluster showing at majors in 2024, with his highlight being reaching the semi-finals at Roland Garros.
“Last season was good in some ways, but I felt like I could have done better here in Australia, especially at Wimbledon,” he said.
“One of my goals this year is to have a few Grand Slams, maybe even better and deeper runs.”
