‘Like a rat race': Injured Casper Ruud limps out of French Open in second round
A dejected and injured Casper Ruud leaving the court after losing his second-round match against Portugal's Nuno Borges. PHOTO: REUTERS
'Like a rat race': Injured Casper Ruud limps out of French Open in second round
PARIS – Casper Ruud on May 28 blasted the ATP's ranking system as 'like a rat race' which forces players to compete with injuries, as the former two-time French Open runner-up slumped to a second-round defeat.
The seventh seed from Norway lost 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-0 to Portugal's world No. 41 Nuno Borges as a knee injury he has been carrying the entire clay season took its toll.
The 26-year-old said he first felt the problem at Monte Carlo in April. He won in Madrid and played in Rome but pulled out of Geneva last week in the hope of being in top form for Roland Garros.
'It's been with me actually the whole clay season on and off,' said Ruud, who reached the final in Paris in 2022 and 2023 before a run to the last four a year ago.
'Depending a little bit on how kind of physically tough some matches are, the day after it will either be a bit more sore or not.
'The scan didn't know show any structural damage, which is a good thing. There's liquid of inflammation in there that needs to settle. As we know, it's a hectic clay season, and I decided to push through it doing some anti-inflammatory pills and painkillers to try to get rid of it, which has helped to a certain degree.
'I will have some more time now to let it heal and rest for a long time.'
He lamented the difficulty in taking time off on the ATP tour to fully heal an injury.
'It's kind of like a rat race when it comes to the rankings, as well,' Ruud added.
'You feel you're obligated to play with certain rules that the ATP have set up with the mandatory events.
'You feel like you lose a lot if you don't show up and play, both economically, point-wise, ranking-wise and opportunity-wise. It's a questionable system because on one hand you don't want to show up injured, and you maybe give the spot to another one.'
Norway's Casper Ruud lost his match as a knee injury he has been carrying the entire clay season took its toll.
PHOTO: REUTERS
On May 28, Ruud won the first set against Borges but lost the next two.
He had his leg massaged between the third and fourth sets, but to no avail, as he came back on court to lose the final set in 20 minutes.
'I wish I could stay longer. This is the Slam where I feel like I have a bigger chance of doing well,' said the Norwegian.
He has not gone beyond the last 16 at any of the other three Majors since losing the 2022 US Open final to Carlos Alcaraz.
'It's hopefully nothing too serious,' added Ruud. 'I don't want to take anything away from Nuno, because I think he played a phenomenal match, a really high level.'
Borges is through to the third round at Roland Garros for the first time and will play Australian 25th seed Alexei Popyrin for a place in the last 16.
'He obviously wasn't 100 per cent today,' said Borges, who reached the second week at the Australian and US Opens in 2024.
'It's a big milestone for me to be in the third round.' AFP
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