"I felt like I was running in a hamster wheel that never got anywhere" - Casper Ruud on his decision to seek help for his mental struggles
ATP
Although Casper Ruud appears to have rediscovered his form over the past week at the Madrid Open, the Norwegian admitted he was battling some mental issues which prompted him to seek the assistance of a professional.
The former World No.2 has looked solid all week in Madrid, and he's yet to drop a set at the Caja Magica. Ruud defeated former World No.1 Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals on Thursday, and will face Argentine Francisco Cerundolo for a spot in the final.
Mental health issues were tied to his poor play as of late, admits Ruud
The three-time Grand Slam finalist has been going through a slump over the past few weeks. Ruud has seen his ranking fall outside the top 10, to his current spot of World No.15. The Oslo native suffered a second round exit at the 2025 Australian Open, with his closest shot at a title coming when he finished runner-up at the Dallas Open two weeks later.
Following his victory over Medvedev in Madrid, Ruud revealed he had been dealing with some mental struggles this season and had sough the help of a mental health expert. When asked what prompted him to make that decision, the Norwegian was very candid in his response.
"I can talk briefly about it," began Rudd. "I think in this life you have to be honest with yourself when something is not working and something needs a change for the better. Even now if I'm playing well, I can still choose to be even better, maybe mentally or I can choose to improve my backhand or my serve. So there's always room for improvement.
"I just kind of felt like I was running in a hamster wheel that never got anywhere. This professional tennis life is sort of like a hamster wheel that just never stops. I mean, except for six weeks in November, December then you're back at New Year's.
"I felt like I needed to jump out of this hamster wheel to review where I was going, but now I'm back on the hamster wheel but with a better mentality."
"I just kind of felt like I was running in a hamster wheel that never got anywhere. This professional tennis life is sort of like a hamster wheel that just never stops. I mean, except for six weeks in November, December then you're back at New Year's.
"I felt like I needed to jump out of this hamster wheel to review where I was going, but now I'm back on the hamster wheel but with a better mentality."
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
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