Casper Ruud says he is a better player now than when he was ranked world No. 2. The discussion revisits his run to the US Open men's final against Carlos Alcaraz, when he was one win from reaching world No. 1. Alcaraz won that final and went on to become the youngest man in the Open Era to reach the top ranking. Ruud's reflection puts his current level in the context of that earlier ranking peak.