HOUSTON, November 16, 2021 (Press Release)
Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship reigning finalist and 2021 ATP Finals qualifier Casper Ruud is set to make his second appearance at River Oaks in 2022.Ruud is the first Norwegian to qualify for the ATP Finals, the tour’s year-end-championship that features the top eight performers from the past season in a round robin format in Turin. The 22-year-old has won five titles in the 2021, tied for the most on tour this season with Olympic gold medalist Alexander Zverev. Unseeded in 2019, Ruud only lost one set on his way to the Houston finals. Ruud jumped 27 spots in the ATP rankings following his performance and has since been in the top 10 in the last five weeks.
THIS JUST IN 🗣️
2019 #USClay finalist @CasperRuud98 shares some big news from the @atptour finals in Turin: pic.twitter.com/Vh8lfDPHYf
— US Men’s Clay Court (@mensclaycourt) November 16, 2021
“It’s great to see him capping his fantastic season with an appearance at the ATP finals, and we look forward to welcoming Casper back to River Oaks in April,” tournament irdector Bronwyn Greer said. Already claiming six career ATP Tour singles titles, Ruud has won four on clay courts during the 2021 season. Having three consecutive titles in three consecutive weeks, Ruud’s victories in Bastad, Gstaad and Kitzbuhel allowed him to become the first player to win a trio of championships in three straight weeks since Andy Murray in 2011. Ruud is also the first Norwegian to win an ATP title and reach the semifinals of ATP Masters 1000 events. His best finish at a Major came earlier in 2021 when he reached the Australian Open round of 16. After winning his first title in 2020 in Buenos Aires, Ruud passed his father, Christian Ruud (1996 champion and 2001 runner-up at River Oaks) as the highest-ranked player from Norway. Ruud matched his father’s 115 tour-level career wins during his run in the Paris ATP Masters 1000. Ruud joins reigning champion Cristian Garin and Sam Querrey, the winningest active player in the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship, in committing to play the 2022 tournament. Garin has captured five career ATP singles titles, winning at least one championship on clay in each of the last three seasons. Querrey, who will be tied with fellow American James Blake for the second-most tournament appearances in the Open Era with 12, is a two-time Houston finalist and was a semifinalist in his last appearance in Houston.The Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship will welcome fans to the River Oaks Country Club for the first time since 2019, with the 2022 tournament taking place April 2-10. West Grandstand season packages are now on sale while daily tickets and the Champ Pass for finals weekend will be available for purchase December 12.
