“Everybody was saying Rafael Nadal would never be able to make the transition, he ended up with two Wimbledons” – Liam Broady

Liam Broady pulled off the upset of a lifetime on Thursday, downing fourth seed Casper Ruud in the second round of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships.

Taking on the Norwegian in front of a roaring Center Court crowd, the Brit gave his home fans a night to remember, winning 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 to reach the third round at SW19 for the second straight year.

Coming into the game, there was a lot of noise about Ruud’s lack of practice on grass, with many fans and pundits even thinking it marked his disrespect for the surface.

Admittedly, the former World No. 2 had dismissed those speculations, remarking that he had only wanted to take a break from tennis after a hectic clay swing that saw him reach conseuctive French Open finals.

At his press conference, Broady was asked about the same, with one journalist wondering why a top player like Casper Ruud did not think their game could translate to grass.

The 29-year-old was of the opinion that it just a matter of self-belief and asserted that there was no reason for the Norwegian to not transition to grass based on his successful results on clay and hardcourts.

In fact, the Brit hoped Ruud can take inspiration from his idol Rafael Nadal, who managed to win two trophies at Wimbledon despite many believing the Spaniard couldn’t make the transition.

“I think Casper, I don’t think he believes that he can be as good as he can be on other surfaces on the grass. I don’t see a reason why he couldn’t be as good as he is. He’s too good of a player not to transition onto another surface. It’s just whether he’s willing to believe in himself and find a way to adapt his game to another surface,” Liam Broady said.

“I said it a few days ago, Rafa, everybody was saying Rafa would never be able to make the transition. He ended up with two Wimbledons. I don’t see why somebody who has been in the finals of French… Has he made finals of US Open [as well]. It’s up to Casper whether he wants to move his game on to the grass as well,” he added.

Liam Broady also pointed to how British players often have to adapt to clay despite not growing up playing on the surface. He hopes the World No. 4 would adapt a similar mindset instead of giving up, especially seeing as he is one of the best players in the world.

“At the end of the day, British players do it on the clay, as well. We sort of are drawn towards what we’re comfortable with. I think it’s kind of easy to say, Oh, I’m not a good grass court player, I’m not a good clay court player.

“I mean, he is one of the best players in the world. I think if he’s willing to, I don’t see why he couldn’t be one of the best on the grass, as well,” Liam Broady said.