Rudd: Haaland’s popularity is incomparable in Norway

New York (dpa)
Norwegian tennis star Casper Ruud said that he does not expect to be as popular as his compatriot soccer star Erling Haaland in his country, even if he beat Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz and crowned the US Open title “Flushing Meadows” and topped the world rankings.
Casper Rudd will compete with Alcaraz for the US title, the fourth of the four Grand Slam tournaments, tomorrow, Sunday, and winning the first title of either of them in the Grand Slam tournaments will determine the top spot in the ATP rankings.
Ruud is already the best tennis player in Norway’s history, and he gained his love for the game from his father Christian, who was in the top 50 in the world rankings in the 1990s.
This is an exceptional period in the sporting history of Norway, as the athletes of that small country have not only achieved the lead in traditional winter sports, but also achieved advanced positions in the athletics titles, triathlons, as well as tennis.
Football stadiums are also witnessing a huge brilliance for Haaland, the former Borussia Dortmund star, who is currently the scoring machine for Manchester City.
“He’s been having an amazing season so far,” Rudd said of compatriot Haaland. We all hope that he will continue to do so. It’s fun to watch him score one goal after another.”
He added: “He is, of course, the most prominent star in Norway at the moment. It may remain so for many years to come.”
Rudd continued, “My focus is only on my professional career. Of course, I hope to win more championships during my career. I would like to represent Norway well and raise Norway’s position on the tennis map even more than it has been in past years.”