Former World No. 2 Casper Ruud opens up about mental health struggles in Madrid

Casper Ruud continued his strong clay-court form this week in Madrid, defeating Daniil Medvedev in straight sets to reach the semifinals of the Masters 1000 event. The Norwegian has been one of the most consistent players on tour during the clay season, but he has acknowledged that this good moment comes after some weeks struggling with his mental health.

While the 26-year-old said he didn’t want to go into too much detail, he acknowledged that he hasn’t been feeling great mentally this season. “I prefer not to go into too many details because I’ve been kind of feeling not great mentally this year,” he admitted.

“I’ve sought help, which has really worked for me, and I’ve been feeling a quick response and feeling a lot better. So, that’s really helped, to have someone to talk to about certain things.” Ruud added that the demands of the tour can become overwhelming. “It’s a tough life in many ways, with a lot of travel days, and it just got to a point where it felt like it was getting to be too much.”

The World No. 15 explained that he has seen the difference quickly. “I feel like I’m waking up every day with a smile on my face, so I’m happy that I was honest with myself and felt like I needed some help, and it’s been paying off quite quickly.”

He compared it to trying to fix something technical in his game, noting that mental changes can yield quicker results. “Mentally, I really feel like I’m in a better place this week than last week, and definitely more so than two or three weeks ago,” he told reporters.

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Casper Ruud sends a message of support to Iga Swiatek

Shortly after his own quarterfinal win, Ruud turned to social media to offer support to Iga Swiatek, who suffered a surprising 6-1, 6-1 loss to Coco Gauff in their semifinal match. The world No. 2 appeared emotional during a changeover in the second set, covering her face with a towel as cameras caught her reaction.

“Hey @iga_swiatek keep your head up. Like millions of other people I love watching you play. Not your day today, but you inspire so many and you’ll be back stronger than ever!!” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter), and his post has received more than 22,000 likes.

Swiatek’s defeat came on a surface where she has historically dominated. The Polish star, who has won four Roland Garros titles, had never lost a set to Gauff on clay before. With the loss, her title drought continues, and her No. 2 ranking is now under threat from the American.