Novak Djokovic has beaten Rafael Nadal a lot on the tennis court but he won't beat him on a golf course: Casper Ruud

Casper Ruud recently gave his views on a rather interesting discourse — which player between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic is better at golf.

Ruud, ranked ninth in the world, was part of a fun segment by the ATP tour. During the interaction, the Norwegian was probed on who has the superior golf swing, Nadal or Djokovic. In his response, Ruud claimed that the Spaniard possessed a better aptitude for the sport.

"Rafa. Rafa is better. Sorry Novak, but you've beaten Rafa a lot on the tennis court, but you won't beat him on a golf course. He's going to have to live with that," Ruud said.

There is perhaps not much wrong with Casper Ruud's assertions, keeping in mind how Rafael Nadal reportedly has a +0.3 handicap (the average for male amateur golfers lies between 13.0 and 13.9).

The 22-time Major winner also regularly participates in regional tournaments in Mallorca. As a result, he is never lacking practice when it comes to his golf swing.

In September, Nadal even played at the V Hexagonal Circuit in the Balearic Islands. The 37-year-old had a respectable scorecard by the end of the pro event; he was placed at joint-74th, scoring a "birdie" (one stroke fewer than the predetermined number of strokes) on holes four, seven and 15.

"Ryder Cup asked me to be a part of the All-Star match that Novak Djokovic played" - Casper Ruud

Novak Djokovic looks on after taking a golf swing at the 2023 Ryder Cup All-Star match

Casper Ruud also disclosed that the organizers of the 2023 Ryder Cup had also extended an invitation to him for their All-Star clash, which was attended by not only Djokovic but other top sportsmen like Gareth Bale and Carlos Sainz as well.

The Norwegian, however, had to decline as the dates of the exhibition match clashed with those of the 2023 China Open.

"They [Ryder Cup] actually asked me to be a part of this all-star match that Novak Djokovic played. And I was so sad to have to turn it down. Because I was playing in Beijing," Ruud remarked.

The 24-year-old did make sure to share his thoughts on the Serb's aptitude for golf, as he said:

"It was fun to see Novak, his swing was better than I thought. He even drove the green in Hole 16."

Novak Djokovic, on his part, seemed to enjoy himself greatly at the All-Star match in Rome, which was a precursor to the 2023 Ryder Cup. The Serb displayed a clean technique on his golf swing, and at one point he even mimicked Cristiano Ronaldo's famed "Siu" celebration.

The 24-time Major winner will most likely return to the men's circuit at the 2023 Paris Masters, which will begin on October 28. He is a six-time winner at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament.