FORMER FINALIST 'OBLIGATED TO PLAY', PUTS ATP SYSTEM ON NOTICE AMID INJURY

A medical timeout was required for a struggling Casper Ruud. (Getty/Tim Clayton)

Three-time major finalist Casper Ruud has questioned the ATP system, describing life on tour as a "rat race" after he exited Roland-Garros carrying a lingering injury.

It was a routine start to proceedings for the Norwegian against world No.41 Nuno Borges with two breaks of serve in the first set of his second-round clash, before things took a turn for the worse, with Ruud claiming just one game in the last two sets, falling 6-2 4-6 1-6 0-6.

For the first time since 2021, the Roland-Garros semi-finals won't feature the 26-year-old.

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Post-match, he revealed that he had undergone a scan in Madrid, the same tournament in which he won his maiden Masters title, and that the problem had troubled him "during the entire clay season."

"Hopefully it is nothing too serious, but for the last couple of weeks I've been struggling with knee pain," said the 2022 and 2023 Roland-Garros runner-up, as he later confirmed that the scan in Madrid didn't show any damage.

"In practice, it is easier to avoid certain movements, certain shots. But when you play matches, you can't control it the same way.

"Sometimes you kind of forget that this is a shot I shouldn't go for, maybe in terms of pain in the knee. I still played good tennis in the first two sets. It's a Slam, I didn't want to retire."

The current world No.8 has since dropped five places in the live rankings, with increased pressure to defend the semi-final ranking points achieved at last year's French Open.

"It's kind of like a rat race when it comes to the rankings," he said.

"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.

"For me, I know these weeks and months are really important for the remainder of the year and for my career. Of course, if my leg is broken, I won't play.

"But it's tough anyways, especially when there's a time with mandatory events to skip them because the punishments are quite hard, in terms of everyone else will play, gain points… and you won't. Also, there's a certain bonus system set up that is reduced if you don't show up to the mandatory events."

The top-30 players who accumulate the most ranking points at Masters events and Nitto ATP Finals are guaranteed a piece of the ATP's Bonus Pool. Ruud confirmed in his press conference that if players don't feature in a mandatory event, then 25 per cent will be cut from their end-of-year bonus.

Ruud sits fifth in the race to November's Nitto ATP Finals in Turin with 2,075 points.

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