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Watch: 'Do you have the prize money ready?' – Casper Ruud’s hilarious conversation with Geneva Open sponsor goes viral
Brandon Magpantay/ Special to The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK

World No. 7 Casper Ruud won his 12th ATP career title in Geneva by overcoming Novak Djokovic ‘s conqueror, Tomas Machac, 7-5, 6-3 in the final. This is his third title in the Switzerland-based city, adding to his wins in 2021 and 2022.

Despite this great achievement in his career, Ruud was in the mood for a bit of joking. When every title winner looks to receive the trophy and present it to the crowd, the Norwegian had only one thing on his mind, and that was the prize money.

And to the sponsors, especially GONET (bank), my friend, do you have the prize money ready? Is it ready? Casper Ruud joking during his winning speech

Ruud had a tough road to the final. The 25-year-old had to come back from a match point down to beat Flavio Cobolli 1-6, 6-1, 7-6(4) in a rain-delayed encounter. With almost no time to recover, the Norwegian returned to the court and won the final against Machac.

Ruud has the most match wins on the ATP tour this year (34). His victories are highlighted by a deep run in Monte Carlo, followed by his first ATP 500 title win in Barcelona against Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Can Casper Ruud get a third-time lucky at Roland Garros?

Going into this year’s Roland Garros, many tennis fans believe this is the most open Grand Slam tournament in recent years. The top 3 players in the world, Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, and Carlos Alcaraz, are all struggling with either injuries or bad form.

Moreover, Rafael Nadal is unseeded and is set to play potentially his last ever French Open. So, how does Casper Ruud feel about his chances? The Norwegian tennis player made it to the last two French Open finals, losing to Nadal and Djokovic. However, both of those players aren’t in their best form coming into Paris.

Another question is whether this has been the best preparation Ruud has ever had going into his favorite Grand Slam. Based on his recent performances, fans might agree.

The World No. 7 has won his first ATP 500 title in Barcelona, beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final. Moreover, he reached his first Masters 1000 final in Monte Carlo before that, where he famously beat Djokovic for the first time in his career. However, he lost to Tsitsipas on that occasion.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

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