Casper Ruud Overcomes Illness, Aims for Strong US Open Finish
Casper Ruud, the former world No. 2, has endured a challenging summer marred by illness. After recovering from a stomach parasite at Roland Garros, Ruud revealed that a week-long flu hindered his performances at the Omnium Banque Nationale and the Cincinnati Open.
“In Montréal, I caught a flu and fever, body aches for four or five days,” Ruud said after winning his first round at the 2024 US Open. “Just a bit unlucky. But I’m ready now and hopefully the immune system is healed, stronger than ever, and I can have a good second part of the season now.”
Despite the setbacks, Ruud remains optimistic. He believes that everyone experiences challenges throughout the year and is grateful to be injury-free.
“It’s ok. Worse things can happen in life, so it’s not a problem,” Ruud said. “Luckily, I’m injury-free, but can’t really control if you catch a flu or something like this.”
Ruud’s physicality remained largely unaffected by the flu, allowing him to resume training ahead of the US Open. He is eager to make up for lost time and perform well in the final Grand Slam tournament of the year.
“I’m really motivated because I’ve had a few tournaments where I didn’t have the chance to perform as I wanted, big tournaments as well,” Ruud said.
During his sick days, Ruud indulged in his passion for golf. He has been playing since childhood and enjoys hitting the greens with fellow tennis star Carlos Alcaraz.
“I’ve been swinging golf clubs since I was young,” said Ruud. “I never really practiced as seriously as I did with tennis, but I really enjoyed going to the driving range, and I still do.”
Ruud, the No. 8 seed, will face either Gaël Monfils or Diego Schwartzman in the second round of the US Open. Both opponents are sentimental favorites, adding to the excitement of the match.