"Allergic to grass but motivation is quite high" - Casper Ruud cites the Weeknd's London concerts as reason to do well at Wimbledon

Casper Ruud has jokingly shared that he is relying on the Weeknd’s upcoming London concerts for motivation to do well at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships.

With the upcoming fortnight at SW19 around the corner, Casper Ruud has chosen to take things in stride regarding his grass court season. The World No. 4 has been absent on court ever since his French Open 2023 final against Novak Djokovic and hasn’t contested a single match on grass.

While his colleagues were seen competing in various tournaments on grass, the three-time Slam runner-up utilized the time between the two Majors to unwind with his friends and family.

Ruud recently posted highlights from his days off, which included attending the Weeknd’s concerts twice - in Oslo as well as Stockholm, golfing, and skeet shooting.

The Norwegian is now in Wimbledon ahead of the grass court Slam. In a recent interview with Eurosport’s Barbara Schett, Ruud revealed that he is actually allergic to grass, due to his pollen allergy.

“I’m already itching in my eyes because I am actually allergic to grass. I’m gonna have to start taking some allergy pills again. It was a late night at the golf course yesterday. I’m already feeling it this morning,” he said.

Despite the lack of real preparation on grass courts, however, Casper Ruud stated that his motivation to extend his London trip and do well at SW19 is quite high. He joking explained that this is due to the Weeknd’s upcoming London concerts on July 7 and 8, which he wishes to attend.

“The thing is, he has two shows in the first weekend of Wimbledon. So, my motivation to do well is actually quite high, so I can catch a third show,” Ruud jokingly said.

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"I'm gonna try to spend these next days well" – Casper Ruud ahead of Wimbledon

Casper Ruud has featured in the finals of three of the last five Grand Slams

Casper Ruud conveyed that, contrary to popular belief, he does wish to perform well at Wimbledon. The Norwegian clarified, however, that he has to prioritize certain tournaments over the others due to the hectic scheduling.

“People probably think that I don’t take it very seriously, but I actually do. I do want to do well. It’s just, you kinda have to prioritize a bit here and there with the scheduling,” he said.

Ruud has obtained his best results on claycourts. He has featured in two back-to-back French Open finals in 2022 and 2023. Moreover, nine of the 24-year-old’s ten career titles have come on the red dirt.

Meanwhile, Ruud's best result at Wimbledon so far has been last year’s second-round exit. The tournament 4th seed confessed that he finds the movement on grass courts tricky.

“I think you need to move well. I think it’s tricky movements. You just have to be careful with how you step, and you can slip and maybe do something, so you don’t want to do that. So, you’re a bit extra careful,” he said.

Casper Ruud recently opted out of an exhibition match against Cameron Norrie at the Hurlingham Classic on June 29. He has another clash lined up at the event against Dominic Thiem on July 1.

“I’m gonna try to spend these next days well,” the 2022 US Open runner-up said on a hopeful note. “Maybe if I get my serve and forehand going at Wimbledon.”