"We were quite stressed for a few weeks": Casper Ruud and Andrey Rublev's sheer relief at Djokovic ATP Finals wait ending

Casper Ruud and Andrey Rublev were initially playing this week in Moselle as they looked to take their ATP Finals participation to the wire. But the organisers were spared blushes in the group photo when Novak Djokovic withdrew.

That pencilled the field in with Ruud and Rublev not needing to continue elsewhere. Ruud shared his relief as he returns for the first time since his 2022 final defeat.

“It’s just really good to be back,” Ruud said.

“This is a really important tournament and it shows that you had a great year. I’m proud to be here, I didn’t make it last year so motivation was high to do it this year.”

“We sit here today and it was getting pretty close towards the end of the season who is going to be here and I’m happy that both me and Andrey made it. And of course the others! But Andrey and me, we were quite stressed for a few weeks.”

But Rublev joked that he cares more about winning matches than extending a good record at the tournament after a pretty poor few months. He called it a big honour having qualified five years in a row.

“I will be more proud to win more matches,” he laughed.

“But of course, if I will be serious, of course I’m really happy to be back here, to do it five times in a row.

“It’s always great to finish the year being here and like Sascha or Charley were saying. All the players in the beginning of the season, they would like to qualify but there is only eight spots so to be one of those players, it’s a big honour.”