Casper Ruud has declared his intent to leave from.
Casper Ruud exited the Madrid Open early, continuing his terrible 2023
Being a top tennis player year after year while the rest of the field works to undermine you is one of the hardest things to do.
Casper Ruud is still a prime example of the battle in the early going of his sophomore season among the best. Ruud, the runner-up in the French Open the previous year, lost 6-3, 6-4 to young Italian Matteo Arnaldi in the Madrid Open second round, his second straight early defeat on clay.
Ruud had just previously advanced to the fourth round of a grand slam a year prior. He was regarded as a clay specialist who excelled in minor events, despite being a top 10 player already.
In his breakthrough season, the Norwegian reached the finals of the French Open, US Open, ATP Finals, and Miami Open, completely surpassing all expectations. He ended the season one win shy of securing the top slot in New York and at a career-high ranking of No 2.
The newest season has been a complete flop. Ruud is now 11-9 in 2023 after suffering another early loss. Of his ten events, he has only won two straight matches.
Though Ruud began the clay season by winning the ATP title in Estoril, it appeared like his form was improving as the tour moved to his preferred surface. However, Ruud has lost in the first round of both the Monte Carlo and Madrid tournaments.
Ruud talked about the necessity to change his style of play before the Madrid Open in order to be more aggressive and keep his opponents off balance.
But against Arnaldi, it was largely the same. He positioned himself well behind the baseline, tense and anxious during the crucial moments.
The 22-year-old Italian, who was playing well, Arnaldi, saw that his opponent lacked confidence, so he played freely to the very end, dominating with his powerful forehand from the baseline and leaving with the greatest victory of his career.
In round two, top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz—the reigning champion, the star of the show in Madrid—came back from a set down to upset Emil Ruusuvuori 2-6, 6-4, 6-2. In the third round, he will take on the 26th-seeded Grigor Dimitrov.
In the meantime, line judges will gradually disappear from the highest echelons of professional tennis since the ATP has said that it would implement live electronic line calling on all Tour courts starting in 2025.
Automatic line calling is previously used by the US Open, Australian Open, and some other events, but this will be the first time the technique has been standardized by either Tour.
