"‘What’s going on? Am I worse? Are other players much better?": Casper Ruud left with questions after poor end to 2023, looks to return stronger after 'slaps in the face'
ATPTuesday, 31 October 2023 at 07:30
Norway’s tennis star Casper Ruud is hoping to return
strongly next year after a disappointing 12 months.
The 24-year-old has had a tough time, especially in the recent
past when hardly anything went right for him.
Ruud was recently quoted in a report where he stated that he
is not sure what went wrong in the last 12 months but believes that recent
results would help him understand better about his own shortcomings.
“Last year was incredible for me, finishing at the third
spot at the ATP rankings, with a career high at No 2,” he said. “This year has
been challenging in many ways. When you have this ranking you have more
expectations on yourself, you think you have chance to play the final or win
the trophy every tournament you play.
“When you lose early you’re like, ‘What’s going on? Am I
worse? Are other players much better?’ It was a season to try to gain
experience from competing as a top three or top five member.
“In a way, it was good to have a couple of slaps in the face
to make you realise that everything is not going to go smoothly all the time.
You have to work hard for that and of course I gave my best.
“It’s irritating, frustrating, annoying when you’re on the
court and you don’t succeed as you want. But let’s see what happens in Paris.
It’s not the end of the world. It’s an opportunity you are given to look back,
reflect and try to learn from it, grow from it, to become a better player and
what went wrong.”
“At this stage it’s hard to say what was learned because we
are still in the season, there is still one more tournament, so it’s not easy
to reflect on everything until the season is done.
“Competing against so
many good players out there when you are the favourite most of the time, it’s
something I need to work on for the next season. Physically it’s a long season,
you need to be ready for many tough tournaments.”
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
claps 0visitors 0
Just In
Popular News
Latest Comments
- This article is SPOT ON!!!Rapunzel04-09-2026
- This article is SPOT ON!!!Rapunzel04-09-2026
- Is there no one in Pro Tennis willing to give this one some form of intervention before she crashes??
mandoist04-09-2026 - Double Standards for the male players? Gross. BTW: This "apology" reads like the one his lawyers wrote for him when he had to go to the Kangaroo Court for slapping his girlfriend around.mandoist04-09-2026
- From Day One, legalizing Sports Betting was never going to end well (for The Sport... not just the thousands who lose their livelihoods and bank accounts). We're not even close to the end of the damage this is causing.mandoist03-09-2026
- From Day One, legalizing Sports Betting was never going to end well (for The Sport... not the thousands who lose their livelihoods and bank accounts). We're not even close to the end of the damage this is causing.mandoist03-09-2026
- In her defense... she has no "defense" and likely could not articulate it if she did.mandoist03-09-2026
- Someone is not enjoying her gradual slide down the rankings, which became noticeable last season. BTW: That reporter's on to something familiar -- the effects of Social Media Stardom on one's Second Priority (Tennis). Shades of Bouchard, Giorgi, Raducanu, etc.mandoist03-09-2026
- Sabalenka seems so unhappy. When you get angry after every mistake you make on court, you’ve got some issues sweetie! She also does seem to be “partying” a lot if you follow her social media (I don’t lolol). Very immature personality.DaveyWavey03-09-2026
- The main difference for bigger names like Alcaraz, Sinner, Zverez, etc. is that they usually make it to the later stages of tournaments while 99% of the other players win a round or two and then move on to the next tournament. The bigger names are playing more, playing longer and therefore more injury issues. The money is great but it all comes with a price!DaveyWavey03-09-2026
Loading
