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Casper Ruud has spoken about the challenges of competing at the highest level on tour after reaching the final of the Madrid Open. He eliminated Francisco Cerundolo in straight sets in the previous round, 6-4, 7-5.
Ruud entered Madrid after a quarterfinal finish in Barcelona. He started his campaign with confident wins over Sebastian Korda, Taylor Fritz, and Daniil Medvedev in the initial few rounds and then outsmarted Francisco Cerundolo in the semifinals.
The Norwegian opened up on dealing with the hectic life on the ATP tour. Despite facing tough moments throughout the journey, he was able to find enough motivation to continue pursuing his goals.
"There’s a lot of things you deal with as a player. It’s a lot of fun of course and living this life and traveling the world is kind of like a dream.. don’t get me wrong. But you have struggles all along.. almost every single week you’re dealing with some minor pain, fatigue, or stress somehow. I love what I do and that’s what keeps me going and motivated every day," Casper Ruud said.
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Ruud is through to the final in Madrid for the first time in his career. He reached the semifinals in 2021 but couldn't pass the test against Matteo Berrettini of Italy.
Ruud also admitted that fans were unaware of the challenges faced by players on tour. He believed that fans usually don't come to know the complete picture of a situation.
"I’m sorry to say to the fans.. but the fans don’t get all the info that we have. There are some things you keep to yourself and especially when it comes to certain pain and things we deal with. There’s probably a bit more than the fans hear about,” Ruud added.
The former World No. 2 had spoken about dealing with mental health issues this week, saying that he felt relieved to be in a better place after a stressful start to the season.
"It's a tough life in many ways, and a lot of travel days, and it just got to a point where it felt like it was getting too much, but I've really seeked help and it's been working, so I'm happy to feel more joy and feel like I'm in a better place," Ruud said after defeating Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinal.
Casper Ruud will now go up against either Monte Carlo finalist Lorenzo Musetti or Indian Wells winner Jack Draper in the final.
Casper Ruud will take on either Lorenzo Musetti or Jack Draper in the final of the Madrid Open 2025
Casper Ruud is making his fifth appearance in the Madrid Open this year. He is through to the final of a Masters 1000 event for the third time in his career.
The Norwegian is yet to drop a set in the Madrid Open. He will take on either Jack Draper or Lorenzo Musetti in the final.
While Ruud has defeated Musetti in the past, he has never faced Draper on tour. He shares the head-to-head battle against Musetti 1-1 and has defeated him most recently in the 2023 Swiss Open in Bastad.
