Ruud and his great crisis with tennis: "I didn't want to get out of bed to train"

Casper Ruud has ample reason to be very proud of himself. Both for the tennis career he is building and for the messages he conveys as a person and a role model for many young people. The newly minted semifinalist of the ATP Masters 1000 Paris 2026 and upcoming opponent of Carlos Alcaraz revealed the details of a very challenging emotional journey he has managed to overcome.

Many are surprised to find out that Casper Ruud is only 27 years old. It seems that the best moments of the Norwegian and his great opportunities to achieve significant successes in tennis have already passed, but the truth is that there is no reason to believe that they cannot still be ahead. His level of play in this ATP Masters 1000 Paris 2026 is superb, but the better news is to see that he has left behind his emotional and moral issues.

It is not the first time Casper has unreservedly expressed his emotions and lamented the monotony of a demanding circuit that can break even the most optimistic and constructive mentality. He did it shortly before winning in Madrid in 2025, and now, with renewed energy after overcoming an even deeper crisis, he poses a threat to Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals of the last Masters 1000 of the year.

This is how Ruud revealed his deepest feelings and his opinion on Alcaraz

Ruud admits to having faced mental health issues

"Last year I had some mental health problems; I wasn't feeling well psychologically. But I sought help, it worked, and I got a quick response. I started feeling much better, so it helped a lot to have someone to talk to about certain things."

"I think the hardest part is that it is a very monotonous and repetitive life. You train for hours and hours, whether you are in Miami, Wimbledon, or anywhere else. It’s always the same. Training can be enjoyable, but it can also become exhausting."

"Matches are exciting, of course, but they also represent a huge mental strain. We have so many mandatory tournaments that it prevents us from enjoying long training periods, which are precisely what allows you to truly improve."

"When you play so many tournaments, it’s hard to find time to improve as a tennis player. Trainings become very repetitive and you end up wondering if you can still progress, how you can become a better player."

"It’s complicated because you don’t have time to breathe, to go home for one or two months and truly train, working on specific aspects of your game. The only time you can do it is during the break between seasons. And even then, if you play the ATP Finals, you finish at the end of November and have to be ready to start in Australia at the beginning of January."

Loss of motivation and enthusiasm for training

"All of that led me last year to a point where I didn’t feel like getting up and going to train when the alarm went off in the morning. Until then, I had always trained because I wanted to. However, during that period, I did it because I had to."

Ruud will be Alcaraz's opponent this Saturday in the semifinals in Paris. It won't be on clay nor in the Bois de Boulogne, but the Norwegian will be a very difficult rival to beat.

— José Morón (@jmgmoron) November 7, 2026

"I don't want to complain; I know that many people have repetitive jobs, but you are constantly packing and unpacking your bags, moving from one airport to another, catching flight after flight and organizing your travels... Sometimes all of that becomes too much. That’s what I experienced last year."

"I did everything possible to get out of that state and this season things are going much better. I've become aware that my career won’t last forever and that I have to try to enjoy it during the years I have left on the circuit. But yes, sometimes it’s hard to overcome certain situations."

"Few people enjoy their work every day of the year, but for me it was the first time I felt the need to turn off the alarm in the morning. I trained because it was my job, not because I wanted to improve."

"I was scared to feel that way. It wasn’t pleasant. I sought help and tried to manage the situation in the best way possible. We found a solution and several techniques I can use if that feeling overwhelms me again. But I hope it doesn’t happen again."

What Ruud thinks about his upcoming rival, Carlos Alcaraz

"We have played great matches and he has won most of them. The truth is that he has been my executioner in some of the most important matches of my life and taught me several important lessons for my career. He is a great person, someone enjoyable to be around, and I’m looking forward to facing him".

"Honestly, I have been feeling very good physically and tennis-wise for a few weeks. I believe that taking a few weeks off in the summer, due to my wedding and the grass court season, has allowed me to arrive now less fatigued both physically and mentally than usual. I’m playing good tennis, and I hope I can keep it up against Carlos."

Casper Ruud has earned the respect, affection, and admiration of tennis fans and all his rivals. He will seek to end the season with a great achievement, like defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals of the ATP Masters 1000 Paris 2026, something that would propel him to a new final in a major tournament.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Ruud y su gran crisis con el tenis: "No quería levantarme de la cama para entrenar"