Ruud opens up about his mental struggle: "I am proud to dare to seek help"

Raquel Bermúdez Rodríguez | 22 May 2025 | 09.37

Ruud opens up about his mental struggle: "I am proud to dare to seek help." Photo: Getty

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Casper Ruud has been one of the most consistent figures on the circuit, especially during the clay court season, but he has also made an impact on other surfaces like hard courts. From competing for the world number one spot alongside Carlos Alcaraz, while also vying for his first Grand Slam at the 2022 US Open, the Norwegian experienced a sharp drop in the ATP Ranking a few weeks ago.

Although outwardly the current world number 8 remained calm and unaffected (saying he was still the same), Ruud admits that at the start of the clay season, he was mentally exhausted and needed psychological help to cope better with the situation. Days later, he would win in Madrid, returning to the Top 10 while rediscovering a high level of play on the court.

A turbulent past

"Sometimes I have to hold back from responding to someone or commenting," Casper said in an interview with The Guardian regarding the many criticisms he receives on social media. "When I was young, I used to throw my racket too much. I cried, screamed, and complained about everything. I felt like I was running on a hamster wheel getting nowhere."

Psychological support, key for Ruud

"I never thought I would need help in that way, but I quickly realized I benefited from it, and it was a smart decision on my part to open up to someone, seek help, and have different thoughts and perspectives on things. I am happy and proud that I dared to seek help and realized it was necessary for me."

The Big 3 barrier

"You feel tremendous respect from childhood, growing up watching them on TV week after week. Then you're there, thinking, 'These guys have done it hundreds of times. What am I going to do to challenge them that they haven't already done? So I don't know. Maybe it could be this. Maybe it could be mentally, which is a barrier a bit difficult to break, but overall, the 2000 generation has had success because they play better tennis."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Ruud se abre sobre su lucha mental: "Estoy orgulloso de atreverme a buscar ayuda"