Casper Ruud was runner-up at the French Open in 2022 and 2023
Casper Ruud admitted to feeling like he was “walking around like a zombie” at times, battling extreme heat during his first-round victory over Roman Safiullin at the French Open.
Reportedly, temperatures soared to 33C during the tournament’s opening days in Paris, creating challenging conditions for players.
The Norwegian, Ruud, squandered five match points in the third set against Safiullin, a point at which he says he began experiencing cramps in his legs.
Subsequently, he took medical timeouts, employing ice towels and water to cool down during changeovers.
From a 5-2 deficit in the third set, Russian qualifier Safiullin mounted a comeback, winning 11 consecutive games to force a decisive set. However, he also faced injury concerns requiring treatment near the end of the fourth set.
Both players took extended breaks before the fifth set, after which the 15th-seeded Ruud ultimately secured a 6-2, 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 0-6, 6-2 victory. The match unfolded over three hours and 56 minutes on Court Simonne-Mathieu.
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Ruud, a two-time finalist at Roland Garros, commented, “As we know, there’s a bit of a heatwave at the moment, and that can sometimes cause problems.”
“It felt like it was a bit of a kind of heatstroke feeling. I experienced something similar some years ago when I played in Washington DC and I had to retire in the third set because I had that – that’s the only time I had that same feeling as I had today in the fourth set where I felt at times really dizzy, really tired and walking around like a zombie almost.
“Luckily, I was 2-1 up still and allowed myself to kind of lower the intensity a bit to get my pulse and body temperature down as much as possible in the fourth to see if there was any chance to finish in the fifth and have some extra energy. Luckily, that ended up working.”
When asked if he perceived the victory as more mental or physical, the 27-year-old responded, “It feels like a mental win.”
“At times in the fourth [set] I was thinking ‘I have to book the flight home tomorrow and I’ll be watching from home on the sofa the next two weeks’. Luckily, that’s not the case.
“Physically, also, I’m proud because I never really gave in. I didn’t give up.”
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