By Martyn Herman
PARIS (Reuters) – There was one consolation for Norway’s Casper Ruud after missing out on an Olympic tennis medal, it allowed him time to venture across to Le Golf National and follow his other passion.
Two-time French Open runner-up Ruud was tipped for a podium finish in Paris but was surprisingly beaten by Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime in three sets in the quarter-finals.
The following morning, however, he was watching Olympic village room mate Viktor Hovland tee it up.
“I thought I would spend the day doing what I usually love doing, either playing golf or watching golf,” the world number nine told reporters at the panoramic course near Versailles.
“I envy the guys that are professional golfers, all the good courses they get to play. Some nights I think, ‘Oh, if I could trade for one day, I would be happy to do it.'”
As well as being one of the best tennis players in the world, Ruud plays off scratch in golf and with Ryder Cup player Hovland as a friend, he is not short of guidance.
“I try not to ask him too many questions,” Ruud said. “I know that as an athlete you appreciate your spare time, so I need to control myself not to ask too much.”
While Ruud is still fixated on winning a Grand Slam title, he says a future golf career is not out of the question.
“Any day off I try to get out there and play golf,” the 25-year-old Ruud said. “Some days I’ll even have a very early (tennis) practice to be able to get 18 holes in the afternoon.
“I am pretty serious about it. I write down pretty much every round I play during the year because I want to figure out my scoring average. No ‘gimmies’, play everything out.
“I doubt it is likely to happen, but it’s a realistic dream of mine (to become a professional golfer). I know at least that after my tennis career I will have plenty of years and chances to play all the courses I would love to play.”
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Toby Davis)
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