Lindsay Davenport, Martina Navratilova want more “punch” from Casper Ruud at Australian Open

The Tennis Channel Live panel had three words for Casper Ruud after a five-set opening to his 2025 Australian Open campaign: aggression, aggression, aggression.

“He’s got to those neutral balls and smack them more,” exclaimed Martina Navratilova after Ruud scored a 6-3, 1-6, 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 win over Juame Munar. “That’s what [Carlos] Alcaraz and [Jannik] Sinner are doing: they are being aggressive on every single shot they possibly can. There is no more rally ball.”

Though Ruud, a former world No. 2 and three-time major finalist, earned his first win over Alcaraz last fall at the Nitto ATP Finals, the 26-year-old is a combined 1-7 against 2024’s two major champions and will need a more offensive approach to interrupt their upward momentum.

He needs to take some of the spin out and go for more punch on the forehand...he still plays it too safe. Martina Navratilova on Casper Ruud

“It appears he’s in a better frame of mind this year going into the first major than last year,” argued Lindsay Davenport, noting Ruud’s physical improvements. “He’s got to use his forehand. He’s got to defend the backhand corner, but he’s got to be able to finish points with the forehand.”

“I think Casper puts so much topspin on his forehand that he spins out too much,” echoed Navratilova. “He needs to take some of the spin out and go for more punch on the forehand. That’s the play for so many guys but he still plays it too safe on the forehand.”

Ruud is a proven commodity on hard courts, finishing runner-up at the 2022 US Open, but with a game built for clay has enjoyed his best success at Roland Garros, where Jon Wertheim predicts he is most likely to lift a major trophy.

“I think some of this is mindset and some of this is having matches like yesterday where, yes, he got through in five sets, but that’s not the kind of first outing you want when you’re a Top 10 seed trying to win seven matches,” said Wertheim.

“At times yesterday, [the forehand] left him and he started panicking. Munar did a great job taking advantage of it,” agreed Davenport.

Among the top players yet to make a major breakthrough, Ruud may need a mental as well as tactical pivot—Prakash Amritraj positing the Norwegian may not believe Grand Slam glory is within his grasp.

“I don’t think he thinks he can beat the best at the end of an actual event: I’m talking about Sinner, Djokovic, Alcaraz.”

“It’s almost easier for Sinner and Alcaraz because they only have to beat each other!” Navratilova added. “Everyone else has to beat Sinner and Alcaraz. Good luck with that!”

Seeded No. 6 in Melbourne, Ruud will aim to play a more straightforward second round—against talented 19-year-old Jakub Mensik—if he hopes to surpass his career-best result at the Australian Open, having reached the fourth round just once in five attempts (2021).