By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, Could 28, 2025
Photograph credit score: Mateo Villalba/Getty
A cranky left knee and gritty Nuno Borges turned Roland Garros spherical two into Could Day for Casper Ruud.
World No. 41 Borges toppled two-time French Open finalist Ruud 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-0 to make his mark because the Portuguese man to succeed in a Roland Garros third spherical in event historical past.
Weeks after capturing his maiden ATP Masters 1000 championship in Madrid, Ruud made ignominious historical past of his personal.
It’s Ruud’s earliest exit in Paris since his 2018 debut. Ruud noticed his quest for a fourth consecutive Roland Garros semifinal go up in a cloud of crimson mud as he hobbled by way of shedding 12 of the 13 video games.
“It is hopefully nothing too severe. For the final couple of weeks I have been form of struggling slightly bit with knee ache on and off,” Ruud instructed the media in Paris. “That is why I made a decision to drag out of Geneva after Rome, do my greatest, and heal to be prepared right here.
“While you’re practising, main as much as the event, it is simpler to keep away from sure actions which might be painful. It isn’t painful. Every little thing just isn’t painful. However sure actions on the market are form of what makes it painful. Sure pictures are painful to do.
“While you’re taking part in matches, you possibly can’t actually management it in the identical manner. You do every part you possibly can to get to each ball. Typically you form of overlook that it is a shot I should not go for possibly by way of ache within the knee. That is just about all.”
The seventh-seeded Ruud joins fourth-seeded Taylor Fritz, who fell to Daniel Altmaier in spherical one, and Daniil Medvedev, who served for the match earlier than bowing to Cameron Norrie in a five-set thriller yesterday, because the third High 11-men’s seed to fall within the first two rounds.
“I truly felt it fairly early within the first set,” Ruud instructed the media in Paris. “I can inform you like one of many pictures that hurts essentially the most is to do, like, sliding on the left foot, an open-stance backhand is what hurts essentially the most, as it is the left knee.
“It is very, very particular. However if you rotate my foot inward, it additionally hurts slightly on the left. That is form of the worst shot for me and has been for a number of weeks. I’ve tried to not present the opponents that it’s.”
Ruud hit the “rat race” that’s the ATP Tour with a parting shot saying the hectic schedule, rating factors at play and monetary penalty if you happen to miss a compulsory occasion compel gamers to compete even once they’re injured.
“It is form of like a rat race with regards to the rankings, as properly,” Ruud instructed the media in Paris. “After all, if my leg is damaged, I will not play. Nevertheless it’s robust anyhow, particularly when there is a time with necessary occasions to skip them as a result of the punishments are fairly exhausting, by way of everybody else will play, acquire factors, and you will not.
“Additionally there is a sure bonus system arrange that’s lowered if you happen to do not present as much as the necessary occasions. It is a questionable system as a result of on one hand you do not wish to present up injured, and also you possibly give the spot to different one.
“I am unsure if you happen to’re conscious, however if you happen to do not play a compulsory occasion, they reduce 25% of your year-end bonus. You are form of forcing gamers to point out up injured or sick, or no matter, when that isn’t what I believe may be very truthful.”
Borges beat Ruud for the primary time in three conferences and has now reached the third spherical at three of the 4 Slams: Australian Open, Roland Garros and US Open.
Subsequent up for Borges is a third-round conflict vs. Alexei Popyrin. The Twenty fifth-seeded Aussie swept Alejandro Tabilo 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.
Ruud mentioned the five-day break he took after Rome wasn’t sufficient to treatment his cranky knee.
The previous US Open finalist left open the prospect of skipping grass-court season—grass is his least favourite floor—to attempt to get well. Ruud has but to surpass the Wimbledon second spherical in 5 profession SW19 appearances
“We’ll see,” Ruud replied when requested if he’ll shut down grass season. “I will go dwelling and do some extra scans as quickly as potential and see if there’s something that has modified.
“However between Rome and right here, I took 5 days utterly off at dwelling. It wasn’t sufficient to make the ache go away. I positively suppose that I would wish greater than 5 days off, then take a standing in every week or two, see the place I am at.
“I want I may keep right here longer. It leaves extra time, in fact, to get well for upcoming tournaments.”
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