"When it's the father, you feel like you are taken extra care of, I saw he was doing everything in his power for me to play well and I felt comfortable" - Casper Ruud on having his father Christian as coach

Casper Ruud is an anomaly on the ATP tour in that his father continues to serve as his head coach, something most players grow out of once they hit the big leagues. But listening to the Norwegian speak, one would be hard-pressed to find a good reason for why exactly fathers shouldn't mentor their children more.

Taking on Matteo Berrettini in the quarterfinals of the 2022 US Open on Tuesday, Ruud scored a comprehensive 6-1, 6-4, 7-6(4) win to book his spot in his first ever semifinals at the New York Grand Slam.

Speaking at his press conference afterward, the World No. 7 was asked to shed light on how his personal relationship with his father Christian, a former ATP player himself, affected their professional relationship. The 23-year-old revealed that after spending a little time with another coach, he knew that he wanted to have his father back in the mix since he felt more comfortable around him than any other third party.

Ruud was of the opinion that having a coach who is also a father is advantageous for the most part, adding that a parent will always ensure that they go the extra mile to help out their children, more so than a normal coach.

"When I had to stop with my former coach Pedro, I think I was around 19 at the time or was about to turn 19, you know, we looked at some options, but I said that, you know, I'm more comfortable with you being around and having him around," Casper Ruud said.

"I know that a coach will do so much for you and help you be very helpful, but when it's the father as well, you feel like you are taken extra care of, because a father will care maybe those extra percentages because he's your family," he added.

Hailing his father for doing everything in his power to better his career, the Norwegian remarked that the duo came up with a plan together to keep a home base in Norway as well to give him a place to hone his skills away from the limelight.

"So I felt very well taken care of with my father around, and I saw that he was doing everything in his power for me to play well, and I felt comfortable with it. So we agreed that he would do most of the travel, but at the same time, I needed, you know, still a place to sort of go to and still develop my game and learn from other players and practice with other players than Norwegians," he said.

Recalling the years when his father was not his main coach, Casper Ruud pointed out that he still acted as the head in some way, talking every day to his other coaches and planning all their travel itienaries.

"Yeah, even though for those two, three years when I had a different coach or help from another coach, he was still sort of the head of the team, in a way. He was still doing all the planning for us, and he was still in contact with my other coach almost every day during practice weeks and he would come to some tournaments but not to many," he stated.

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"It's been a good year since we made that decision and hope we can go for many more years" - Casper Ruud on the decision to join the Rafa Nadal Academy

Casper Ruud at the 2022 US Open

Since 2018, Casper Ruud has been a part of the Rafa Nadal Academy, joining their ranks as a promising teenager and continuing to use the facility to this day. The World No. 6 considers it a most beneficial arrangement, adding that he hopes to continue the relationship for many more years.

"We agreed I would go to Mallorca to Rafa's academy and get help from them. I'm still under their wings, and they have been very helpful. It's been a good year since we made that decision and hope we can go for many more years," Casper Ruud said.