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World No 3 Casper Ruud admits he still gets flashbacks from his US Open final defeat to Carlos Alcaraz. After suffering a straight-set defeat to Rafael Nadal in the French Open final, Ruud made his second Grand Slam final at the US Open.
This time, Ruud played much better but the outcome was again the same since Alcaraz claimed a 6-4 2-6 7-6 (1) 6-3. Now, Ruud admits he has certain regrets over how he reacted in the deciding moments of the third set. In the 12th game of the third set - when Alcaraz was serving to stay in the set - Ruud had two set points.
Ruud didn't realize his set points as Alcaraz dominated the third-set tie-break to go up by two sets to one.
Alcaraz: I still get flashbacks of the US Open final loss
"US Open was the closest one and that's what I felt.
I mean, I don't think about it all the time, but there are periods of times where I get flashbacks like if I had just made that passing shot or whatever to get it to 2-1, because there was a couple of set points. But Carlos played brave, he played great in those two points.
I mean, maybe I got a little bit passive in one of the points, but in the end you have to give credit to Carlos because he played very fearless and brave. He came to the net twice and it paid off. Of course, I can say I wish I had ready to serve in the T and rip the four and win the return," Ruud said on the Ruud Talk, as quoted on Eurosport.
Ruud, who is 23, noted in the same interview that he remains optimistic that he will have many more chances to do well at the Grand Slam level. In January, Ruud will be aiming to become a Grand Slam champion at the US Open.