Last-minute call: Casper Ruud rushes to ATP Finals as second alternate after Musetti’s entry

Casper Ruud made an emergency last-minute trip to the ATP Finals following the change in the lineup after Novak Djokovic's withdrawal. The Norwegian former finalist earned his place as the second alternate, after Lorenzo Musetti accessed the Round Robin and achieved his first qualification for the Finals.

The tournament, which brings together the eight best players of the season, will ultimately not feature Nole—the recent Hellenic Championship winner—and his spot was taken by Musetti. Traditionally, the ATP Finals have eight players in competition, but they also include two alternates in case of last-minute injuries.

Based on the ATP Race, after Musetti (9th), the next on the list was Jack Draper (10th), who has been injured for months and ended his season early. Thus, the first alternate spot went to Alexander Bublik—who reached a year-end World No. 11 after four titles, a 37-21 record, and some deep runs like quarterfinals at the French Open or semi-finals at the Paris Masters.

In case of any injury during the Round Robin, it will be Bublik who accesses the draw, and he must be ready for any last-minute change. This is why Casper Ruud (No. 12 in the Race) traveled at the last minute, with the possibility of entering the court should injuries appear among the competitors.

The Norwegian had great moments this season, with his major achievement being winning his first Masters 1000 title at the Madrid Open. He also added the ATP 250 Stockholm Open title, runner-up finish at the ATP 500 Dallas Open, and semi-finals in Tokyo. The 3-time Grand Slam runner-up ended the year with a 39-16 record, and while the possibility of him playing in Turin is low, it has happened in previous years that both alternates were required.

He will have a significant incentive: a sum of $155,000 just for his presence in Turin, where he will join training sessions hoping for the chance to play—which could also mean increasing his prize money and even adding some points to his ATP ranking, as he defends 400 points after reaching the semi-finals in 2024.

Undoubtedly a good opportunity for Ruud, who in three previous appearances reached the final in 2022 (loss to Novak Djokovic) and two semi-finals (2021, 2024). Ruud has a decent 7-6 record at the tournament, which he will hope to improve if given the opportunity.

It is not uncommon for alternates to make appearances due to last-minute injuries at the tournament. Back in 2023, Hubert Hurkacz was the first alternate and ended up playing a Round Robin match against Novak Djokovic—after Stefanos Tsitsipas' injury during his second match (with only three games played against Rune).

Even in 2021, both alternates ended up playing, which obliged the organization to bring in a third alternate mid-tournament. The Italian Jannik Sinner came in to replace his compatriot Matteo Berrettini, playing matches against Hurkacz and Medvedev (1-1 record).

Shortly after, Tsitsipas suffered an injury, which also required his replacement to take the court: the Brit Cameron Norrie, who also played two matches (losses to Ruud and Djokovic). Thus, with players only having played one match each, both official alternates took the court. As a third alternate, the Russian Aslan Karatsev was added mid-tournament, though he ultimately did not get the chance to play.