The final is set at the French Open. Both men have been to this stage in Paris. That said one has twice lifted the Coupe des Mousquetaires and is playing in his seventh final whilst the other was dismissed in straight sets last year and is looking for his first Major title. But will it be Novak Djokovic or Casper Ruud who lifts the title?
French Open Final Prediction
Novak Djokovic vs Casper Ruud
Jim: Ruud does not have much to lose in this match. He’ll probably still lose it. He’s not the sort of player to take the racquet out of Djokovic’s hands and it’s hard to see him outlasting Djokovic in enough rallies to really discomfit the Serb. Particularly because his backhand and serve stack up so poorly in this matchup. Ruud is playing in his second French Open final for a reason and this won’t be the walk in the park for Djokovic that some are predicting, but it’s hard to see Ruud winning this match.
Prediction: Djokovic in 4
Yesh: Ruud often seems to play above his level against less-than-elite opponents, as he’s now reached three Grand Slam finals. It’s impressive. But he’s just not at Djokovic’s level. He’s nowhere near at. As long as Djokovic is healthy enough to be close to his best, he’ll cruise.
Prediction: Djokovic in 3
[cta id=445 type=cta] (DK)
Jack: Though the match against Alcaraz wasn’t the epic we were hoping for, a lot that we already knew about Djokovic was reinforced. The Serb will can find an extra gear when it matters most. Ruud is playing way better than I expected him to this tournament but it doesn’t matter—Djokovic will use the 33 Grand Slam finals before this one to find a way to get over the line. The Norwegian might keep things close but the winner feels inevitable.
Prediction: Djokovic in 4
Jakub: Ruud dropped some sets early in the event but in his last three matches, he has now beaten Nicolas Jarry, who beat him in Geneva, a somewhat-limited Holger Ruud, and Alexander Zverev. The Norwegian will not be dismissed like he was a year ago but awaiting him in the final will be a well-rested Djokovic, playing two tough sets with Carlos Alcaraz before the Spaniard’s injury ended the match as a contest. A slight problem with the Serb’s forearm popped up in the second set but did not seem to arise again after the medical timeout. Djokovic is the overwhelming favourite here.
Prediction: Djokovic in 4
Main photo credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
