From touching the top 30 to disappearing from the circuit: Emil Ruusuvuori's nightmare
Emil Ruusuvuori, just 27 years old, will complete a full year without competing on the professional circuit in a few weeks. What happened to the Finnish player? Why has he been away from the courts for so long? Do we know when his return will be?
November 2025. Bergamo Challenger. Emil Ruusuvuori loses in the first round against Francesco Maestrelli (6-4, 3-6, 7-6) without knowing that this will be the last match they play for a long time. Or did he know? The fact is that almost a whole year has passed, and we still do not have a return date.
This Finnish player seemed to be one of the brightest prospects from the 1999 generation. He reached No. 37 in the world rankings in 2023, reached two singles finals in ATP 250 tournaments, and even advanced to the third round at Wimbledon. Let's say he was in the process of revealing his true potential, but injuries and mental health issues came along to take everything away in one fell swoop. As of today, after undergoing surgery again for back pain, the uncertainty surrounding his sports career is at an all-time high.
What injury did Emil Ruusuvuori have?
The last procedure in New York involved the replacement of an intervertebral disc and was performed by a specialist he was referred to by Sebastian Korda, who had also recently sought his services. Ruusuvuori shared the news on his social media with a message explaining the hardships of these past months.
"Here we are. The operation in New York has been completed. I haven't talked much about what has happened behind the scenes, but now that the procedure has gone well, I feel it’s the right time to share it. For the past ten months, I’ve been living daily with physical pain, not knowing what my back would allow me to do when I woke up. The mental challenge of living with pain, not being able to move or compete as I have my whole life, and facing uncertainty about the future has been extremely tough".
At 27 years old, the Finn has not played an official match since November 2025, since that Challenger in Bergamo, causing his ranking to plummet to No. 1078, far from the player who used to compete regularly on the tour and face some of the best in the world. Although this is the least of his worries now, as it is only a matter of weeks before he runs out of any ATP points.
"After a long search for the best solution and trying countless alternatives, I am very grateful to Sebastian Korda for putting me in touch with Dr. Qureshi and his team. Together we decided that disc replacement was the best option for me. I am immensely grateful to have been in the hands of such good professionals throughout this process", he wrote on social media.
When will Emil Ruusuvuori return to the circuit?
This is not the first time Ruusuvuori has gone through a tough period. In 2024, he had to stop his activity for four and a half months after suffering panic attacks and facing issues related to his mental health. He was able to return to competition then, although in 2025 he disrupted his schedule again and ultimately reappeared at the US Open, where he fell to Alexei Popyrin. Now the situation is different. Recovery from such a procedure requires patience, and there is still no specific date for his return. The player himself prefers not to set deadlines and focus on making progress during rehabilitation.
"Now it's about taking one step at a time and seeing where rehabilitation takes me. I hope I’ve left a large part of the pain on that operating table and can soon return to being the one who decides how to spend my days", explains the Finn, who will benefit from a protected ranking when he is ready to return. Undoubtedly, an important aid in trying to regain the status he once had within that locker room.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, De rozar el top30 a desaparecer del circuito: la pesadilla de Emil Ruusuvuori