Casper Ruud has admitted it was ‘pretty tough’ to walk up stairs after suffering a calf injury at the Monte-Carlo Masters, just days before his Madrid Open title defence, and revealed key Rafael Nadal advice.
The Norwegian was forced to retire from his third-round match in the Principality at 7-5, 2-2 against Felix Auger-Aliassime after appearing to struggle with significant leg discomfort.
Ruud subsequently withdrew from the following week’s Barcelona Open, an event he won in 2024.
The consequences of the calf injury were heightened by the fact that he is defending 1,000 ranking points at the Madrid Open, a tournament he remains committed to playing.
If the three-time Grand Slam finalist had skipped the event, he would have fallen outside the world’s top 25.
Last season, he defeated Brit Jack Draper 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 in the Spanish capital to claim his maiden Masters 1000 title.
“It was hard to feel, hard to know what it was, because it is the first time I’ve felt something like this pain or instant pain in my calf,” said Ruud during his pre-tournament interview with Tennis TV.
“I was kind of slightly worried, but also maybe thinking it was cramp, like the muscle just cramped up a bit, was a pretty intense match with some long rallies so maybe just cramped up a bit, but it turned out it wasn’t just a cramp.
“It didn’t really get any better as I tried on for a couple of games and I decided to stop before it got too bad.
“Took some exams or some pictures of it and it was just a small little strain in the calf, but it felt like the muscle just kind of, not imploded but went together and I really, really felt it in the calf.
“It was unfortunate I couldn’t play Barcelona, needed some days of rest and when you get a small strain or a pull or rupture in the muscle you have to kind of take it easy for days and then you have to start training again, and make sure it grows and heals little by little, day by day and it’s been going really well.”
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Ruud will begin his title defence against Jaume Munar in his opening match, with the Norwegian leading their head-to-head 6-1.
It is impressive that the world No 15 has recovered in time for the second clay-court Masters 1000, given he admits it was ‘pretty tough’ to walk up and down stairs in the immediate aftermath of the injury.
“I mean the days after it was pretty tough to like even walk up the stairs, down the stairs and I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to come here at all,” he added.
“So, it went a little bit faster than normal when I started to do more exercises and getting the kind of the blood flow and these things to the muscles.
“You know, muscle injuries are the ones that heal faster, which is a good sign, and I knew that.
“I was slightly worried the day after it had happened in Monte Carlo, but all in all happy to be back quite fast. Just needed to skip one tournament and that is not the end of the world.”
In addition to outlining the steps he took to recover from the calf injury, Ruud also revealed he received valuable advice from Rafael Nadal.
Shortly after returning to the practice courts, the Norwegian travelled to Mallorca for a short training block at the 22-time Grand Slam champion’s academy.
Nadal was Ruud’s idol growing up, and the pair have met twice on tour, with the Spaniard winning in straight sets on both occasions.
“Rafa has encouraged me to carry on and give my best,” Ruud revealed.
“You can’t ask any more of a player. Rafa has won so many big titles on clay, I could never compare myself to him. He’s in a league of his own on this surface. If there’s one thing you can learn from him, it’s determination.
“He never gave up, and he was able to win many matches without being at his best because he was so well prepared physically and mentally.
“There are so many things you can learn from Rafa. This time, we didn’t spend much time together on court. He encouraged me to keep going and told me I have plenty to fight for in the coming weeks.”