In Auckland, Casper Ruud made it clear: 2026 will not look like the old Ruud. He is changing how he plays, and the spark for that change comes from two names at the top of the sport—Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. Speaking before the ASB Classic, where he is the second seed and could meet teenage threat Jakub Mensik in the semifinals, Ruud laid out a direct plan: study the new wave, and adapt.

“Seeing how the game has changed has made me realize that I need to change my game a little,” Ruud said in his pre-tournament press conference. He added, “I’ve been studying a lot of the younger guys over the last recent weeks and months to see how my game needs to develop and change in order to handle their type of tennis.”

Why Ruud is changing now

Ruud built his rise on heavy topspin, steady defense, and smart point building, especially on clay. That formula took him to three major finals and as high as World No. 2. But he knows the speed of the sport has jumped again. Today’s best players do not let you breathe.

“Now we have Carlos and Jannik… no side is a weakness. It doesn’t matter if it’s the backhand or forehand; they will rip it. Also, they move well physically. They just move great,” Ruud said. He summed up the trend in simple terms: “They don’t have one big shot, they typically have two big shots, both the forehand and backhand.”

“If Ruud steps inside and hits through both wings, he can hang with the very best on hard courts.”

Auckland stakes: a Mensik rematch could loom

Ruud arrives in New Zealand after a mixed United Cup. He beat Alex de Minaur, one of the tour’s best defenders, then lost a tight two-setter to 18-year-old Mensik. That loss matters because the draw in Auckland could bring them together again in the semifinals. It’s an early test: is Ruud’s tweak real, and can it hold under pressure?

Ruud sees that matchup as a window into the sport’s future as well as his own. “If you look at Mensik, I lost against him last week at the United Cup. He has a great serve and hits the backhand hard from both sides. You see it more and more.” The message is simple: players are taking time away with pace off both wings. To live at the top, you must do the same.

“We need Ruud–Mensik II in Auckland—best way to measure the new plan under fire.”

What the numbers say about the climb ahead

Ruud’s résumé is big-league solid: three major finals, a former World No. 2, and two titles in 2025, including his biggest trophy yet at the Madrid Masters, plus a win in Stockholm and a runner-up in Dallas. But he also slipped out of the top five last season, and his head-to-heads with the sport’s top punchers show why the shift matters.

• Versus Carlos Alcaraz: 1–6 (the lone win came at the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals)
• Versus Jannik Sinner: 0–4

Those numbers are not a knock on Ruud’s talent; they highlight the bar he must clear. Sinner and Alcaraz attack early, hit heavy on both sides, and defend like sprinters. Beating them often requires taking the ball earlier, aiming deeper, and turning defense into offense faster. Ruud’s words suggest he knows it and is ready to act on it.

“Madrid showed Ruud can go big—can he make ‘big’ his default in 2026?”

From topspin walls to first‑strike tennis

For years, Ruud’s heavy forehand and discipline wore opponents down. In 2026, the goal is not to abandon that base, but to layer on more first-strike choices. His own words point the way: study the players who “have two big shots” and build patterns that do not give away time.

That likely means taking more returns early, holding court position inside the baseline when possible, and flattening the backhand at the right moments. None of this is a full rebuild. It is a tune-up for a faster sport, one that keeps the parts of Ruud’s game that work and adds speed where he can get it.

Life first: a season of balance

There is a human story here, too. Ruud called 2026 an exciting year for tennis, but he also put family first. With his first child on the way and a wedding ahead, he said he would leave Auckland—or even the Australian Open—if his fiancée, Maria, goes into labor. It is a clear statement of priorities and a reminder that players juggle more than rankings and results.

That balance could help him. When pressure rises, a clear mind often plays freer. If the tennis side matches the perspective, Ruud can be dangerous week in and week out.

How the change shows up at the ASB Classic

If you are watching Ruud in Auckland, here are a few simple tells that the new plan is in motion:

• Earlier contact on the backhand, driving through the court.
• More first serves into the body to set up quick forehands.
• Holding the baseline on neutral balls instead of drifting back.
• Return position a step or two closer, especially on second serves.

These are small details that add up fast. If he nails them, that likely turns a few key points in every set. Those points decide tight matches—the kind he lost to Mensik last week and will want back if they meet again.

Big picture: a smarter Ruud is a scarier Ruud

Ruud’s honesty about the sport’s direction is refreshing. He is not stubborn. He is not stuck. He is looking at the best in the world, seeing what works now, and choosing to evolve. That takes confidence. It also takes humility. He has both.

The field in Auckland will test him, and the Australian summer will ask for quick answers. But Ruud has a clear blueprint: move faster, hit earlier, and make both wings speak up. If he does that, his 2025 progress—Madrid, Stockholm, deep runs—can be a floor, not a ceiling, for 2026.

And if a Mensik rematch arrives in the semifinals, we will get an immediate read on just how far the overhaul has come.