Casper Ruud’s clay-court prowess was on full display at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Rome, and one moment of brilliance has earned him May’s Hot Shot of the Month presented by Yokohama award.
The Norwegian produced plenty of highlights during his run to the final at the Foro Italico, but none captured fans’ imaginations quite like his spectacular quarter-final point against Karen Khachanov. Chasing down a lob, Ruud improvised with a perfectly executed tweener before whipping a forehand at Khachanov’s feet to finish the exchange and bring the crowd to life.
Ruud rode that momentum to victory, extending his Lexus ATP Head2Head lead over Khachanov to 3-1. While he was unable to overcome World No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the final, the Norwegian departed Rome having reached his fourth ATP Masters 1000 championship match and produced one of the standout shots of the tournament.
Ruud is the latest player to claim the fan-voted honour in 2026, joining the likes of Alexander Zverev and Lorenzo Musetti on the winners’ list. Fans can look forward to more spectacular shotmaking on the ATP Tour throughout June’s grass-court season.
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