Casper Ruud opened his ATP Finals campaign with a 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 triumph over Felix Auger-Aliassime in Turin.

The victory put Ruud top of the Green Group, with the pool's two other players, Rafael Nadal and Taylor Fritz, set to face off later on Sunday.

A tight first set saw each game go to serve as it went all the way to a tie-break, with Ruud – this year's beaten US Open finalist – finding a crucial break at 3-2 up, giving him the momentum to nose ahead.

They continued to be closely matched in the second set too, though Ruud again managed to break Auger-Aliassime at a critical juncture in the match.

With the set tied at three apiece, ATP Finals debutant Auger-Aliassime double-faulted at 40-15 down on his own serve to put Ruud within two games of victory.

The world number four took full advantage, who is making his second appearance in the season-ending tournament, kicking on to secure a straight-sets success without offering a single break point to begin his tournament in impressive fashion.

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS

Ruud - 5/1

Auger-Aliassime - 14/3

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

Ruud - 19/5

Auger-Aliassime - 30/9

BREAK POINTS WON

Ruud - 1/1

Auger-Aliassime - 0/0

In recent years, the notable absentee at the ATP Finals has been Roger Federer, with his last appearance in the tournament coming in 2019.

The lack of Federer at the showpiece event will be felt even more apparent this year after the Swiss maestro retired from tennis in September, though it is the absence of a player at the other end of his career that is more relevant in Turin.

World number one Carlos Alcaraz had to withdraw from the tournament after suffering an abdominal tear, which means his status at the top of the men's game is in jeopardy.

Rafael Nadal has spoken well of his 19-year-old compatriot in the past, but is not ready to pass the torch just yet, and could even topple Alcaraz from his number one spot.

The 22-time grand slam champion has finished as year-end number one five times previously, most recently in 2019. Should he accomplish the feat again this year it would put him in joint-second for most year-end finishes at the top of the ATP Rankings (since 1973) along with Pete Sampras (six).

In order to do so, Nadal will need to win the tournament, something he has never done before.

However, he comes into his 11th appearance in good form, and has won 32 per cent of his return games in 2022, the highest percentage by any player this year, and has converted 43.8 per cent of his break points in 2022, the third best amongst all players.

Stefanos Tsitsipas, meanwhile, is the other competitor who can knock Alcaraz off top spot, though his task to do so is a little more complicated as he needs to win every match on the way to the title in Turin. 

No player has played more matches in 2022 than Tsitsipas (80), 21 on clay, 11 on grass and 48 on hard courts; he has won 59 of them and lost 21.

Should neither man win at the Pala Alpitour, Alcaraz will breathe a sigh of relief and earn his first year-end number one finish, having taken his place after winning the US Open in September.

Nadal has been drawn into the Green Group with Casper Ruud, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Taylor Fritz, while Tsitsipas will be in the Red Group alongside Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev and Novak Djokovic.

Djokovic can equal Federer record

One man surprisingly unable to end the year as number one is Djokovic, despite having done so on more occasions than anyone else in history (seven).

However, the 21-time grand slam champion can still make his mark in Italy.

Djokovic has had an up-and-down year, only playing in two of the four grand slams due to his vaccination status, though he was able to win Wimbledon for the seventh time, beating Nick Kyrgios in the final.

Should the Serbian go all the way and lift what would be his sixth ATP Finals title, he will go level with Federer for most victories since the tournament began in 1970.

Among the eight participating players in this year's tournament, Djokovic has won 87 per cent of his service games in 2022, the best percentage among these players and the sixth overall.

It would be quite the ending to the year for Djokovic, who finds himself in the unusual position of sitting eighth in the world rankings, and at the age of 35, who knows how many more appearances he will make at the event?

Strong field promises fireworks

As is the intent of the format, the ATP Finals should be a tightly-contested few days as the best men's players in the world come together.

Ruud will be looking to add to an already impressive season, having reached two grand slam finals and winning three tour-level titles, while Fritz is aiming to carry on the fine lineage of American players to have won the tournament.

Players from the United States have won the ATP finals 16 times, with Sampras and Ivan Lendl winning five of them each. It is the most by any country and 10 more than next best Switzerland (six, all Federer) and Germany (also six, three wins for Boris Becker, one for Michael Stich and two for last year's champion, Alexander Zverev).

Auger-Aliassime has had a strong end to the year, beating Djokovic at the Laver Cup before winning three titles in as many weeks in Florence, Antwerp and Basel.

Only John Isner (895) has recorded more aces in 2022 than Auger-Aliassime, who has registered 852 in total, averaging 10.9 per match.

"All the players who participate [at the ATP Finals], I have already faced them, I have beaten them," the Canadian recently said. "So for me, there's no reason why I can't show up to this tournament with the aim of winning it."

Medvedev was world number one as recently as September but enters this tournament in fifth, though he did win the Vienna ATP 500 event last month, while his first opponent in Turin, Rublev, enters with a 2022 record of 49-18, looking for his second straight 50-win season.

Whoever comes out on top at this year's ATP Finals, the race for supremacy in 2023 promises to be as delightfully chaotic.

Novak Djokovic remained on course for a record-extending seventh Paris Masters title after booking his quarter-final place with victory over Karen Khachanov.

The six-time champion avenged his defeat by Khachanov in the 2018 Championship match by running out a commanding 6-4 6-1 winner.

That gave Djokovic his 11th straight victory in the French capital, where he is unbeaten since that 2018 defeat, while he has also won each of his last 11 Tour-level matches.

The Serbian, who has triumphed in Tel Aviv and Astana during that streak, set up a last-eight clash with Lorenzo Musetti after the Italian came from behind to stun third seed Casper Ruud 4-6 6-4 6-4.

The Naples champion recorded his maiden top-five victory at the seventh attempt, while he hit 37 winners to advance to his first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final.

Meanwhile, world number one Carlos Alcaraz won five out of seven break points as he breezed past Grigor Dimitrov 6-1 6-3 to reach the last eight in Paris for the first time.

There, he will play Holger Rune after the Stockholm champion defeated seventh seed Andrey Rublev in straight sets.

Fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas overcame Corentin Moutet 6-3 7-6 (7-3) to reach his 14th quarter-final of the season, where he will face Tommy Paul after the American denied Pablo Carreno Busta 6-4 6-4.

Felix Auger-Aliassime was a commanding 6-1 6-3 victor over Gilles Simon. The eighth seed will take on Frances Tiafoe, who defeated Alex De Minaur 6-3 7-6 (7-5).

Novak Djokovic and Casper Ruud were made to work hard for victory in their opening matches at the Paris Masters on Tuesday.

For Djokovic, a 10th win in a row came in an absorbing battle with his Paris-born American opponent Maxime Cressy, who displayed a typically aggressive approach on serve, with 15 aces and 10 double faults overall.

Djokovic was strong on his own delivery, however, with the Serbian losing just six points on serve and not facing a break point on his way to a 7-6 (7-1) 6-4 victory.

"I'm happy with the way I played," Djokovic said. "When chances were presented, I was able to use them, even though I did have some missed break points.

"But it was very challenging, first match with a guy who serves extremely well and strong and fast.

"He's comfortable coming to the net. It's nice to see. I think he's the only guy that really comes to the net after every first and second serve. I think it's good for tennis to see that, particularly in these modern times when most of the players are playing from back of the court. He's a very athletic guy.

"It's difficult to play him definitely in these kind of conditions where balls are flying through the court and it's quicker than it was last year. So tough to break.

"But I didn't make too many unforced errors. I'm very pleased with the way I served, with the way I was holding my service games. Just the way I felt, the way I played, it was all positive."

Third seed Ruud ground out a 6-1 7-6 (9-7) victory against Frenchman Richard Gasquet, with the Norwegian saving three of four break points in what proved to be a tightly fought contest.

Mistakes from Gasquet were ultimately costly, the veteran having 10 unforced errors in the second set compared to Ruud's two.

Seventh seed Andrey Rublev was also victorious, the Russian winning 6-2 6-3 against American John Isner, while the British duo of Jack Draper and Dan Evans progressed to the last-32 stage, beating Arthur Rinderknech and Brandon Nakashima respectively.

Carlos Alcaraz was dumped out of the Astana Open in the first round on Tuesday, suffering a surprise 7-5 6-3 defeat to David Goffin.

Goffin entered the draw as a lucky loser after squandering two match points to lose his final qualification match against Luca Nardi on Sunday, but he produced a fine display to see off the world number one in one hour and 46 minutes. 

The Belgian had to rediscover his composure to take the opener after throwing away a 5-2 lead, but ultimately deserved his straight-sets win over the US Open champion. 

Speaking on court after his victory, Goffin said: "I always believe that I have the level to cause some trouble against those guys. 

"When you play against the world number one on a big stage, big crowd, the fire inside gives you so much power to play your best tennis because you don't have any choice."

Stefanos Tsitsipas was the only other seed in action in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, and he advanced to the round of 16 by beating home favourite Mikhail Kukushkin 6-3 6-4.

The Tokyo Open also lost its top seed, as Casper Ruud fell to a 6-3 6-3 loss to Jaume Munar, who claimed his first top-10 win since beating Alexander Zverev in 2019.

But the likes of Borna Coric and Nick Kyrgios fared better, claiming straight-sets wins over Thanasi Kokkinakis and Tseng Chun-hsin, respectively.

Wimbledon runner-up Kyrgios only dropped four further points on his serve after being forced to save a break point in his opening service game, racing to a dominant 6-3 6-1 win.

Elsewhere, eighth seed Dan Evans fought back to beat Radu Albot 6-7 (3-7) 6-1 6-4, and Alex de Minaur lost 6-3 6-2 to Kwon Soon-woo. 

Casper Ruud stumbled to defeat against Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka as the French Open and US Open runner-up bowed out in the Korea Open quarter-finals.

World number two Ruud lost 6-2 3-6 6-2 in Seoul on Friday as the Norwegian found the going too tough in his first tournament in Asia for three years.

Ranked 56th before this week, Nishioka is one win away from vaulting back into the top 50, potentially going beyond his highest ranking of 48th if he reaches the final.

He said, quoted on the ATP website: "I feel great. My motivation is very high. I am playing very well, very smart."

Assessing top seed Ruud, Nishioka said: "I know he came from Europe and played at the Laver Cup, which is not easy matches. He wasn't settled on this court or this country yet, maybe. I was ready. I was focused on playing against him and I had a plan and it worked."

Nishioka had an outstanding run to the Washington final in August, before losing out to Nick Kyrgios in the title match. That was a major outlier in his season, which has consisted largely of early-round defeats.

His semi-final opponent will be American Aleksandar Kovacevic, a 24-year-old world number 222 who is enjoying the biggest week of his career. A 'lucky loser', handed his place in the draw when a spot opened up, Kovacevic has taken full advantage and beat compatriot Mackenzie McDonald 4-6 6-3 6-2 in their last-eight battle.

Canadian Denis Shapovalov, still seeking a first final appearance of the year, moved one step away by beating Moldova's Radu Albot 6-2 6-2, setting up a clash with American Jenson Brooksby, who was handed a bye due to Cameron Norrie pulling out with illness.

Casper Ruud saw off a fightback from Nicolas Jarry to book his spot in the quarter-finals of the Korea Open, as well as this year's ATP Finals.

The top seed was given a second set scare by the Chilean but wrestled back control to emerge as the victor in a 6-2 3-6 6-3 encounter.

The two-time grand slam finalist, having been runner-up at Wimbledon and the US Open this year, will face Yoshihito Nishioka after he saw off Japanese compatriot Taro Daniel in a 6-2 6-4 win.

His victory also ensured his place at the ATP Tour's end-of-year finale in Turin, alongside Spanish duo Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz.

Cameron Norrie remains on course to set up a potential final in Korea with Ruud after brushing aside Kaichi Uchida with a comfortable 6-2 6-2 victory.

The Briton will face eighth seed Jenson Brooksby after he turned over home favourite Kwon Soon-woo in a 6-3 6-4 result in Seoul.

Brooksby's fellow Americans Mackenzie McDonald and Aleksandar Kovacevic also came through their last-16 encounters to set up a quarter-final clash against each other.

Casper Ruud expects to be "a bit nervous" when he features alongside childhood heroes Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and the retiring Roger Federer at the Laver Cup.

Ruud is the world number two heading into the tournament, which sees Team Europe take on Team World in London, after his efforts at the US Open.

The Norwegian fell just short against Spanish teenage superstar Carlos Alcaraz in the final at Flushing Meadows.

Ruud featured at last year's Laver Cup, held in Boston, and this year is due to join up with the 'Big Four' of Djokovic, Nadal, Murray and Federer, who has announced his impending retirement at the age of 41. The quartet have won 66 grand slam titles between them.

While there are some doubts over whether Federer will be fit enough to play in his farewell tournament, with the action starting on Friday, Ruud is "honoured" to have the opportunity to play alongside his idols.

"It's going to be so special this year, having the biggest four tennis players in my childhood," Ruud said in an interview on the Laver Cup's official website.

"It's going to be an honour. [I'm] probably going to be a bit nervous when I'm out there playing in front of them, but I'll do my best and I'm very happy to be able to represent Europe in front of a crowd full of cheerful fans, and a European bench of legends."

Ruud has played six matches against the illustrious quartet who will now be team-mates, winning only once – against Murray in San Diego last year.

The 23-year-old has lost three times to Djokovic and once to Nadal – in the final of the French Open this season – while his sole meeting with Federer, back in 2019 at Roland Garros, went the way of the 20-time major champion.

Federer helped to create the Laver Cup but did not play in the 2021 edition due to injury. He was, however, present to support Team Europe from the stands in Boston.

"I was playing the first match of the whole [2021] Laver Cup against [Reilly] Opelka," Ruud said. "It was the first time they showed Roger on the big screen in TD Garden in Boston, and the whole crowd erupted like I never heard before.

"I can only imagine what it will be like when he's on the team and when he will enter the court."

Federer announced the decision to bring the curtain down on his 24-year playing career on Thursday, having not competed since making the quarter-finals at Wimbledon last year.

Erling Haaland and Casper Ruud are flying the Norwegian flag high at the top of their sports, with Brighton and Hove Albion Women's new recruit Elisabeth Terland inspired by her compatriots.

Norway international Terland left SK Brann for Brighton in August and will hope to make her Women's Super League debut on Friday against Arsenal.

The 21-year-old, who has 13 international caps, referenced the rapid start Haaland has made to life at Manchester City, where he has scored 13 goals in just nine appearances since leaving Borussia Dortmund.

Haaland enjoyed a reunion with his former club on Wednesday, netting a sublime acrobatic finish to take his tally to 26 goals in 21 Champions League appearances – a strike every 62 minutes on average.

With City's new recruit taking the Premier League by storm, Terland hopes to emulate her fellow Norwegian as she prepares for a new challenge in England.

"The things he's doing at the moment are sick. It's just cool to see how a player can come into a new league and come into a new team and just perform time after time," she told Stats Perform. 

"Of course, it's inspiring. Everybody from Norway is really proud of him and what he's doing. Everybody is supporting him. He's a good product of our country."

While Haaland has made a flying start at City, tennis player Ruud reached his second major final of the season at the US Open.

Carlos Alcaraz proved a step too far for Ruud in the battle for the world number one spot at Flushing Meadows on Sunday, but the 23-year-old is another compatriot serving as inspiration for Terland.

"I did watch a little bit [of the US Open final]. It was quite late. Of course, it's just as inspiring to see people doing well in [other] sports," she added.

"That makes you want to do well in sports as well. [He is] a great athlete and does it time after time as well. Hopefully, next time he will win."

Carlos Alcaraz has a mixture of the qualities Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic possess, according to the man he defeated in the men's US Open final Casper Ruud.

Prodigious Spanish talent Alcaraz became a grand slam champion for the first time at the age of just 19 thanks to a 6-4 2-6 7-6 (7-1) 6-3 triumph at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday.

It was a win that propelled him to the top of the world rankings for the first time, while Ruud has now lost two slam finals this year having been defeated by Nadal at the French Open.

Ruud was philosophical about losing to a player many believe will be the dominant force in the men's game, likening his movement on the court to legends Nadal and Djokovic.

"When someone asks about a player's biggest weapon you tend to think forehand, backhand, serve, whatever it is," Ruud said.

"But sort of his movement is one of his many weapons. It makes us other players feel like you need to paint the lines sort of to be able to hit a winner. Sometimes even that's not enough.

"He's very fast. He's very quick. He's a great mover. He can get to balls that we've probably never seen before.

"But you have other great movers, as well. I mean, this game has become so physically demanding, and all the players in the top of the world, they do the right things to improve always.

"Speed, agility of the players I think are just improving, improving. The physical aspect has been not changed but it has improved by everyone.

"I think Novak and Rafa and also [Roger] Federer, I think they kind of set the bar on how well you can move out there. 

"Rafa, when he was Carlos' age, he was also similar. He tracked down everything. Almost no one could hit a winner on him. Novak the same with his flexibility. He gets to certain shots that you think, 'how is that even possible?'

"Carlos has sort of a mixture of both. He's fast, flexible. He can slide around. It's impressive. He's a hard nut to crack."

Ruud can take consolation from the fact his second appearance at a slam final was a marked improvement on Roland Garros where Nadal breezed to a 6-3 6-3 6-0 triumph.

The Norwegian conceded he had more belief going up against Alcaraz in New York, though he – somewhat tongue-in-cheek – added he hopes not to play a Spaniard in any future slam finals.

"I think obviously if you reach a grand slam final, whoever you play will be a great player on the opposite side of the net," he added.

"At Roland Garros, it was hard for me to believe that I could beat Rafa. Today was not easier, but I believed it more. I think these two tournaments have sort of made my self-belief to win a grand slam grow.

"Hopefully these two experiences can help me. I guess I hope I don't play a Spanish player if I ever reach another slam final! They know what they're doing in the slam finals. Let's hope for another than a Spanish [player]."

Ruud added: "I still thought I was the underdog in a way because of Carlos, he's on paper higher ranking and all these things. 

"But it was more fun for me today. I didn't need to play the biggest idol of my life on the biggest match of my life. It was sort of easier for me to believe that I could win."

Carlos Alcaraz never thought his success would come as quickly as it has, with the 19-year-old becoming the youngest men's world number one in history by defeating Casper Ruud in the US Open final on Sunday.

It was Alcaraz's first grand slam final, and in the process he broke the record for the most cumulative court time at a single grand slam after grinding through three consecutive five-set matches in the lead-up to the four-set final.

This is the third big tournament the Spaniard has won this year. He became the first player born after the year 2000 to win an ATP 1000 Masters event when he beat Ruud at the Miami Open, and then followed it up with a straight-sets win over Alexander Zverev in the Madrid Open final.

Speaking to the media after his maiden major title, Alcaraz called it "crazy" and a "dream".

"Well, it's crazy for me," he said. "I never thought that I was going to achieve something like that at 19 years old – everything has come so fast.

"For me it's unbelievable. It's something I've dreamed since I was a kid, since I started playing tennis. Of course, lifting this trophy today is amazing for me.

"Right now I'm enjoying the moment – I'm enjoying having the trophy in my hands – but, of course, I'm hungry for more. 

"I want to be at the top for many, many weeks – hopefully many years. I'm going to work hard again after this… I'm going to fight for more of this."

With his rapid rise to the pinnacle of the sport, Alcaraz said his victory in Miami was when he realised the path he was on could include grand slam titles.

"Honestly, since I won Miami," he said. "Since I won Miami, I thought I was able to have a grand slam in my hands.

"But before Miami, I was thinking that I have to still grow up. I thought that I'm able to have good results in a grand slam, but not a champion.

"But I would say after Miami – I won great matches in a row – I would say after that I thought that I'm able to win a grand slam."

Casper Ruud was understandably disappointed to miss out on the US Open title and the world number one spot, but he vowed to continue his pursuit of a major breakthrough.

Ruud played his second grand slam final of the season at Flushing Meadows on Sunday, yet that match ended in the same manner as his French Open defeat to Rafael Nadal.

The Norwegian, who would have led the rankings had he taken the title, went down 6-4 2-6 7-6 (7-1) 6-3 to Carlos Alcaraz, who instead himself became the youngest ever number one.

It was the first major final played between two men looking to become number one for the first time.

Ruud was bidding to make the biggest leap to the top of the rankings, having previously been the world number seven.

It was not to be, but the 23-year-old's reward for his form in New York was number two – a fine consolation prize.

"It's tough to explain everything," Ruud said, reflecting on his season. "Things have been going so well. I'm so excited for it.

"Today was a special evening. Both Carlos and I knew what we were playing for, we knew what was at stake.

"It's fun that both finalists would be number two and number one tomorrow. I think it's fitting.

"I'm disappointed, of course, that I'm not number one, but number two is not too bad either. I will continue to chase for my first grand slam and the number one ranking."

Carlos Alcaraz was determined fatigue would not get the better of his US Open title tilt, but he accepted he was "a little bit" tired after defeating Casper Ruud in Sunday's final.

Alcaraz set a grand slam record for the most time spent on court at a single tournament, in large part due to playing five-set matches in the fourth round, quarter-finals and semi-finals.

Still, the 19-year-old had enough energy left to take down Ruud in four sets, with his 6-4 2-6 7-6 (7-1) 6-3 victory making him a first-time major champion and the new world number one.

Asked if he would now acknowledge the effects of this run on him, Alcaraz replied: "A little bit.

"I always say it's not time to be tired in the final round of a grand slam or any tournament; you have to give everything on court, everything you have inside. It's something I work really, really hard on."

Alcaraz is the youngest player to ever sit atop the men's rankings, and he added: "This is something I dreamt of since I was a kid, to be number one in the world, to be a champion of a grand slam.

"It's something I worked really, really hard for. It's tough to talk right now. There's a lot of emotions right now.

"This is something I tried to achieve. All the hard work I did with my team, my family... I'm just 19 years old, so all the tough decisions are with my parents, my team as well. This is something that is really, really special for me."

Carlos Alcaraz defeated Casper Ruud in four sets to win his first major at the US Open and make history in moving to the top of the ATP rankings.

Either Alcaraz or Ruud would have taken the world number one spot had they won at Flushing Meadows, and it was the 19-year-old who prevailed 6-4 2-6 7-6 (7-1) 6-3 on Sunday.

The teenager – the second-youngest New York champion of the Open Era after Pete Sampras – therefore became the youngest ever men's number one.

Alcaraz had come through five-set matches in each of the prior three rounds, and he was again worked hard by Ruud – the new number two.

Ultimately, though, the highly talented Spaniard had the staying power to win his first grand slam title, becoming the first teenager to do so since Rafael Nadal at the 2005 French Open.

Despite the draining efforts of previous nights, Alcaraz made a rapid start, quickly forging three break points in the third game of the match and taking the second of them.

Ruud did little else wrong in the first set but had to bide his time to respond, losing the opener and fending off an opportunity for a break in the second before immediately applying pressure going the other way.

The Norwegian reached an Alcaraz drop shot and lobbed his opponent before watching the backhand reply land long to lead, although three unforced errors in the next game almost let Alcaraz back in.

Instead, Ruud dug in and then profited when a sloppy Alcaraz service game allowed him to clinch the second set.

Alcaraz responded in sublime fashion, immediately piling on the pressure in the third frame and breaking down Ruud's defence with a pinpoint drop shot, yet the set was level again when he crashed into the net, with a sensational rally required to reach a tie-break.

A couple of wild Ruud strokes decided the 73-minute set in Alcaraz's favour, though, and the fifth seed went long in the fourth to set his opponent on course, with an emotional victory secured in ruthless style.

Data Slam: Marathon man Carlos crowned in New York

Only the third player to reach the US Open final after winning in five sets in each of the prior three rounds, Alcaraz avoided seeing another match going all the way – even if past results suggest that would have worked in his favour.

Regardless, Alcaraz set a new record for the most time spent on court at a major tournament. Since 1999, when this data was first available, Kevin Anderson's 2018 Wimbledon run had previously represented the benchmark.

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS

Alcaraz – 14/3
Ruud – 4/2

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

Alcaraz – 55/41
Ruud – 37/29

BREAK POINTS WON

Alcaraz – 3/11
Ruud – 3/10

Casper Ruud is looking to follow in the footsteps of compatriot Erling Haaland by putting Norway "on the map" ahead of his US Open final appearance.

Ruud is the first Norwegian male player to appear in the championship match at Flushing Meadows, where he will play Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday, with the winner also set to become the new world number one.

Runner-up to Rafael Nadal at the French Open in June, the fifth seed would become only the fourth player from Scandinavia to top the ATP rankings should he prevail at Arthur Ashe Stadium - after Bjorn Borg, Mats Wilander and Stefan Edberg.

Ruud is not the only Norwegian sportsman to be enjoying an impressive spell of form. Indeed, compatriot Haaland has made a blistering start to life at Manchester City.

The former Borussia Dortmund striker has already scored 12 goals in his first eight appearances across all competitions - including successive hat-tricks - since swapping Bundesliga for the Premier League.

Ruud hailed Haaland's red-hot streak at City, and said he takes immense pride in representing the Norwegian flag every time he steps out onto the court.

The nine-time ATP title winner said: "Erling Haaland has had an unbelievable season so far. And we all hope he keeps going. It's a joy to watch him score goal after goal.

"So, he's obviously the biggest star we have in Norway at the moment, and he'll probably continue to be so for many more years. 

"I'm just focused on my career and hope I can, of course, win more tournaments in my career.

"Everywhere I go, I represent Norway - whenever I play on the ATP Tour or in a grand slam, because the Norwegian flag is always behind or in front of my name.

"So, I want to represent Norway in a good way, and put Norwegian tennis a little bit more on the map than what it's been in previous years.

"I hope I can represent Norway and the Norwegian people in a good way when I'm travelling around and playing, and hopefully winning more matches."