Sawt Falasteen - 'Like a rat race': Ruud limps out of French Open in second round

Seventh seed Ruud lost 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-0 to Portugal's world number 41 Nuno Borges as a knee injury he has been carrying the entire clay season took its toll.

The 26-year-old Ruud said he first felt the problem at Monte Carlo in April. He won in Madrid and played in Rome but pulled out of Geneva last week in the hope of being in top form for Roland Garros.

Ruud reached the final in Paris in 2022 and 2023 before a run to the last four a year ago.

"It's been with me actually the whole clay season on and off," Ruud said after losing to Borges.

"Depending a little bit on how kind of physically tough some matches are, the day after it will either be a bit more sore or not.

"The scan didn't know show any structural damage, which is a good thing. There's liquid of inflammation in there that needs to settle.

"As we know, it's a hectic clay season, and I decided to kind of push through it doing some anti-inflammatory pills and painkillers to try to get rid of it, which has helped to a certain degree but not enough.

"I will have some more time now to let it heal and rest for a long time."

Ruud lamented the difficulty in taking time off on the ATP tour to fully heal an injury.

"It's kind of like a rat race when it comes to the rankings, as well," he said.

"You feel you're obligated to play with certain rules that the ATP have set up with the mandatory events.

"You feel like you lose a lot if you don't show up and play, both economically, point-wise, ranking-wise and opportunity-wise.

"It's a questionable system because on one hand you don't want to show up injured, and you maybe give the spot to another one."

- 'Completely drilled' -

On Wednesday, Ruud won the first set against Borges but lost the next two.

He had his leg massaged between the third and fourth sets, but to no avail, as he came back on court to lose the final set in 20 minutes.

"I wish I could stay longer. This is the Slam where I feel like I have a bigger chance of doing well," said Ruud.

He has not gone beyond the last 16 at any of the other three majors since losing the 2022 US Open final to Carlos Alcaraz.

"It's hopefully nothing too serious," added Ruud.

"I don't want to take anything away from Nuno, because I think he played a phenomenal match, a really high level.

Borges is through to the third round at Roland Garros for the first time and will play Australian 25th seed Alexei Popyrin for a place in the last 16.

"I feel like I was completely drilled in the first set. I wasn't handling the situation the best... but I kept on trying and I realised he started to slow down a little," said Borges.

"He obviously wasn't 100% today."

"It's a big milestone for me to be in the third round," added Borges, who reached the second week at the Australian and US Opens last year.

C.Hamad--SF-PST