The mental load and the punishing schedule
Casper Ruud is in this year’s Roland-Garros draw. The Norwegian recently reached the Rome final. He says last season left him mentally drained. His team, led by his father Christian, had already identified a serious case of burnout. The pro tour never lets up. Tournament after tournament leaves no real time to reset body or mind before Roland-Garros. Ruud calls it a relentless loop. Managing the workload now means a complete rethink of the schedule. His camp is cutting back on commitments to avoid overload ahead of the biggest events, like Roland-Garros.
The family factor and what keeps him going
Last year, the medical staff carried out a full assessment. Ruud had hit the limit of what his body could handle. The plan now is simple: play fewer warm-up events before Roland-Garros. The birth of his daughter in January has changed his day-to-day life. Travel plans now have to fit around family life. More and more players on the tour are parents, and the numbers back it up. Talking to peers such as Gael Monfils has helped him adjust to the new reality. Staying sharp means tweaking the daily routine before every event, including Roland-Garros.
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A look at his past results and what comes next
Ruud has reached three Grand Slam finals, including Roland-Garros. The world rankings once pushed him all the way up to No 2. Hitting the top spot depended on the result of the 2022 US Open final. Novak Djokovic’s participation was restricted by the rules at the time. Ruud believes his game is better now than it was during that strong run. He was ranked No 16 in the world just before the Roland-Garros draw. The task now is clear: focus on squeezing every last bit out of his own game. Winning more big titles is the main aim of the development plan put in place after Roland-Garros.
Photo by Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP
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