Ruud Begins Title Defense in Barcelona: "Here, I Feel Like I'm Playing at Home"

Casper Ruud is coming off a disappointing Monte-Carlo tournament, where he lost in the round of 16 to Alexei Popyrin despite having a final to defend.

However, this early exit allowed him to arrive in Barcelona sooner, where he is the defending champion.

The Norwegian held a press conference before starting the tournament and appeared relatively calm: "I arrived a few days earlier, which gives me extra time to train, and hopefully, that will be positive.

Here, I feel like I'm playing at home. It's a really nice feeling. The level is very high, and it’s going to be an incredible tournament.

It’s a bit different this year, with a 32-player draw instead of 48, so the early rounds are really tough.

I hope I can get through the first round and see what happens next. Sometimes, it’s hard to think you’ve played well and still end up losing.

Other times, you feel like you’re not at your best level and yet still manage to win.

That’s just how tennis is—it has its ups and downs—and I think I’ve played pretty well in recent weeks."

Ruud will face Daniel Galan, who came through qualifying, in his opening match.