By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday May 27, 2024

Casper Ruud arrives in Paris on the heels of his 12th career title, but the Norwegian says don’t count him among the favorites at Roland Garros 2024. Novak Djokovic? That's a different story, he says...



“To me even though Novak hasn't had the best year as he typically has or the same level, I think he is still the favorite,” Ruud told reporters on Sunday in Paris. “He is No. 1 seeded, and he has 24 slams under his belt, so if there's anyone who knows when to find their peak and form, it's probably him.

“Then after that it's a lot of other guys, and I also want to mention Rafa obviously. He is not seeded and he has not maybe played the way he used to play on clay, but if he is physically fit, I think I'm not going to call him a dark horse, but he is going to be up there also in my eyes as one of the favorites to do well here. His record speaks for itself here.”

Ruud doesn’t even want to be on the list of favorites. Just let the other top names have the spotlight, he says.

“I wouldn't put myself in the list just because I don't want to kind of put pressure on myself, but I would put Novak up there definitely,” he said. “Depending on how Carlos [Alcaraz], Jannik [Sinner], and Rafa feels, I feel like those three are also worth mentioning. If they are injury-free. I would go with four guys.