US Open: Casper Ruud vs. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 8/30/21 Tennis Prediction

Eighth seeded Norwegian Casper Ruud will face French veteran Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the First Round of the 2021 US Open. The match is scheduled to be played on Monday August 30th, 2021 at 2:15pm EST.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is a former top five player that has been having a torrid time over the past few seasons with injuries. Now approaching the end of his very successful career, the Frenchman will be determined to go out with a bang, and the crowd favorite will be ready to put on a show for the fans here at the 2021 US Open. However, the draw has not been kind to him and he will face one of the most in-form players on the ATP Tour in Casper Ruud, the eighth seed. Can Tsonga summon enough energy to give the world number 11 a run for his money? Or will the Norwegian cruise to victory as expected, advancing to the Second Round of the 2021 US Open?

Casper Ruud is currently ranked #11 on the ATP Tour and is the eighth seed here at the 2021 US Open. The Norwegian star has been having a breakout season in 2021, most notably winning three consecutive titles and breaking into the top 10 for the first time. He also proved that he can compete at the biggest events, reaching the Semi-Finals at both the Madrid and Monte-Carlo Masters tournaments. He will be hoping that this is finally the time for him to make a mark at the Grand Slam level, and will be aiming to start here on a positive note. He will face the former world number four Jo-Wilfriend Tsonga in a match that he is expected to win, but he should definitely not underestimate his opponent. While Tsonga is not the player that he once was, he is still highly experienced and can still pack a punch.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is currently ranked #98 in the world and is unseeded here at the 2021 US Open. The Frenchman is one of the most beloved players on the ATP Tour over the past few decades and is sadly approaching the end of a highly successful career. He is a fan favorite here at the US Open, and will have the crowd behind him as he attempts to upset the world number 11 Casper Ruud. He has only won one match on the ATP Tour this season and is definitely not the player that he once was. Despite being the massive underdog here against Ruud, can he somehow summon the energy to go out with a bang here, and cause the shocking upset? It is unlikely that his body will allow him to compete at the required level that is needed to defeat a player like the Norwegian, but he will be backing himself here.

This is the first time that the two players will meet on the ATP Tour, and as much as some tennis fans would love to dream, there is almost no chance of an upset here. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is far from the player that he once was, and a lot of the power and physicality that he used to rely upon has deserted him. Casper Ruud has established himself as a top player on the ATP Tour and is unlikely to lose his focus or commit the slew of errors that Tsonga would need him to in order to make this match competitive. The Frenchman will thrill the crowd for brief periods but will ultimately fall short here, with Ruud advancing to the Second Round at the 2021 US Open.