Casper Ruud has weighed in on the criticism surrounding Jannik Sinner, particularly the notion that the Italian plays like a robot. He turned it into a compliment rather than a flaw.
With both players competing at the Italian Open, Ruud already in the fourth round and Sinner in the third, the Norwegian addressed the topic ahead of his straight-sets win over Jiri Lehecka. Speaking to Ziggo Sport, Ruud explained that Sinner’s so-called “robotic” style is actually a representation of his consistency, precision, and mental control, qualities that make him one of the toughest players to beat on tour.
Casper Ruud said:
“I played him [Sinner] last year in Rome and I can already think at that point, I said quite openly that was a crazy level that I felt and saw and was a witness of, and also playing the match. I see a lot of people kind of, not criticising, but saying that Jannik is a little bit too much of a robot. When you realise how difficult tennis is and you can make tennis look robotic, it shows how good you are.”
“So it honestly should be just a compliment. To make something as complex as tennis appear so simple and straightforward is incredibly impressive. Naturally, every player is now chasing him. But he keeps showing off to players and beating everyone so it’s incredible and kind of inspirational to see what he is doing these days,” he added.
Jannik Sinner is enjoying a fairytale 2026 season. Although he narrowly missed out on the Australian Open title, he bounced back in dominant fashion by completing the Sunshine Double and lifting trophies at the Monte-Carlo Masters and Madrid Open.
He now heads into the French Open as the clear favorite, especially with his arch-rival and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz set to miss the tournament.
“Jannik Sinner Can Be Beaten” – Casper Ruud
Casper Ruud weighed in on Jannik Sinner’s incredible season during the interview, noting that despite the Italian’s dominant form, he had already shown earlier in the year that he is still beatable.
Ruud said:
“This year’s results speak for themselves. He won four Masters 1000s in a row at the start of the season, he’s already made history and can make more. But he also showed at the start of the year that he can be beaten: Novak beat him, Mensik beat him.”
“When he’s at his best, few can touch him. I’d say that when both he and Carlos are at their peak, right now they’re almost untouchable for others. That’s why they’ve won most of the Slams and major titles in the last three or four years. It doesn’t seem like a crazy statement from Sascha to me,” he added.
Casper Ruud will now shift his focus to the challenge that awaits him in the fourth round of the Italian Open, where he is set to face eighth seed Lorenzo Musetti. Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner will prepare to take on Alexei Popyrin.
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