The Wimbledon doubles draw is full of star players, from the top doubles to singles standouts like Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas. One of the most interesting duos is Casper Ruud who won three times with his long time friend, William Blumberg.
Why is the No. 8 player in the PIF ATP Rankings partnering with an American who attended the University of North Carolina? Ruud and Blumberg’s story goes back to their childhood days.
“He was No. 1 junior in the world when I was No. 4. And it really started when I took the trip to Chengdu, China for the ITF Junior Masters,” Blumberg said. “We spent a lot of time there. We went to the panda sanctuary and joked around. And when we grew up, we kept in touch a little, but not much.
“After school, we reconnected and hung out. We bind the same things, we are very similar. We both love golf, we are passionate about golf and we both play golf. He doesn’t believe in golf, and I try. So we have a lot of things in common, the same values. Friends of his girlfriend and my wife now… just good friends.”
Blumberg, now 26, and Ruud, 25, were also close to Miomir Kecmanovic and the memories they made together in their youth keep them close today. Blumberg, a three-time ATP Tour number one, partnered the two and won the crown with Kecmanovic in 2022 in Los Cabos.
“I left school when I was 14, so like them, they did an online school. He goes every week. So when you see each other and you have the same guys, you have the same values and you just reconnect,” Blumberg said. “Well, you’re all trying to achieve the same things. So that’s important as well, but it’s really good. “
[ATP APP]Last year, Blumberg spent a week in Norway with Ruud between Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
“We talked about visiting Norway because it’s amazing there. It’s amazing in the summer, it was the first time. And we just had a week that made sense,” Blumberg said. “I had a week where I didn’t play a tournament and he was like, ‘Hey, come to practice’. For me, it was a great opportunity to train with one of the best players in the world and a good friend of mine. So yes, it was amazing. My wife and her girlfriend came there. And so we had a really good time. “
Not only does Blumberg enjoy spending time on the court with his friend, but he also gets to learn from competing with one of the best players in the world.
“Good. I would say he has one of the best forecasts in the world, probably the best front in the world. So to look at that, to look at his preparation, [is great],” Blumberg said. “Honestly, to have the opportunity to play with a player like him and be at the Slams and watch all the top players, look at all the Americans that came up that I knew when I was young, just watch them, watch them. work and watch these top guys. And for me to watch him up close is amazing.
“He gave me a lot of good opportunities… I thank him for that, but it’s also nice to play with a friend.”
Blumberg also met Ruud through their love of golf. But beyond sports, the 10-time college All-American pointed to his Norwegian friend’s character.
“To be honest, I’m a reasonable person, we’re on a different level,” Blumberg said. “He treats everyone with respect, like most guys I grew up with. But to be that guy at that level… it’s great. But it is a very small measure for him. And for him to continue like that, if he sat down with you, he would treat you with the same respect as anyone and I think that says a lot about him as a person.”
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