Casper Ruud (23) has put in a fantastic performance on the gravel, but he hasn’t been successful on the grass. Why does the surface play such a big role in tennis?

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Tennis as we know it today had humble beginnings in late 19th century England, and called grass tennis. It’s not hard to guess that it was played on grass.

It wasn’t until the 40s that people also started playing on hard courts. As the name suggests, it is a hard court, made of rigid material, with an acrylic surface. In 1956, the first clay tournament was played in Cannes, France.

These three surfaces are the most common on the ATP tour, and Ruud’s unequivocal favorite is gravel. For a long time it was speculated that he would never be able to achieve certain results on grass and hard courts.

Where did you watch the Casper Ruud game? Wimbledon is broadcast on Max, Eurosport and Discovery+.

Although seven of Ruud’s eight ATP titles have come on clay, he is disputed that he is exclusively a clay specialist by won a hard court tournament in San Diego last year. On grass, however, it was much worse for the Norwegians, who are ranked sixth in the world.

– His experience playing on grass is much less, so the games he plays on the pitch are very important for his development, father and coach, Christian Ruud told VG.

This season he has only played one game on grass. It was at the ATP 500 tournament in Queens in mid-June. It was clear that he was uncomfortable when he attack Ryan Peniston.

Defeat against a player who is ranked 147 in the world probably won’t happen on clay. So what separates the different substrates in such a way?

Gravel: The gravel trail will be characterized as slow and with a high bounce. The ball doesn’t shoot quickly, and players who use a lot of top spin (overspin on the ball, so the ball can go higher over the net, and fall quickly down the field) have a greater advantage, as the risk of hitting errors is reduced.

Ruud is known as one of the players who have the top ball spin. Because the ball travels slower, players will hit more of the ball, and because it’s often about avoiding making mistakes.

Hard court: On hard courts, the ball moves faster and has a higher bounce than on clay. Since the ball is moving faster, it will pay off to hit the ball with fewer top spins. By hitting it flatter, you’ll take up a lot of your opponent’s time.

Grass: The opposite of gravel. The grass is the fastest surface and the ball bounces low. Surfaces provide a great advantage for those who serve well, and those who are good at volleying. Which means serving and then going up to the net to make a return volley.

Both the gravel and the hard court are perfect for those who like to stand up and hit a lot behind the baseline, which characterizes Ruud’s style of play. The best grass players are good at playing in front of the net. It’s still not one of Ruud’s greatest strengths.

– I wouldn’t say there’s more coincidence on the grass, but it goes faster and you play by a smaller margin. It pays to be a little more aggressive in your style of play, says Christian Ruud.

There is still hope for Ruud.

Rafael Nadal is rightly called the “king of clay” – and has won the biggest clay tournament, the French Open, 14 times.

Many doubted that he could adapt to the grass, but they were wrong. He won Wimbledon in 2008 and 2010.

– Nadal has proven that it is possible for clay specialists to be very good on grass too, says Christian Ruud.

Wimbledon kicks off on 27 June and Ruud will meet Spanish veteran Albert Ramos-Viñolas, who has also thrived on clay. How well Ruud performs in the turf tournament remains to be seen.

– Everything from the third round to the quarter-finals we have to say satisfied, said Christian Ruud.