By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, October 13, 2025Photo credit: Matthew Calvis
The unrelenting demands of the pro circuit can make the ATP calendar feel like “a rat race” says Casper Ruud.
Going forward, Ruud plans to streamline his schedule to make the season more manageable.
In an exclusive interview with Nicholas Albek of Bolavip in Stockholm today, Ruud reiterated his statement on the punishing ATP schedule—and how he plans to navigate it. Read the entire Ruud Bolavip interview here.
Former world No. 2 Ruud said he agrees with comments Novak Djokovic made in Shanghai last week: The season is simply too long.
“Of course, Novak has a point. He has more experience than any other player,” Ruud told Nicholas Albek of Bolavip. “Sure, you can pick and choose in a way, because we are not hired by the ATP; we are bosses of our own schedule.
“What I criticized and talked about at the French Open was that there is an economic motivation to play and not skip any Masters 1000s with the bonus and everything.
“But yeah, sure, if you are in the top 10, top 15, you make a lot of money, but you also spend a lot of money with all the expenses that you have, so you don’t want to miss out on any money if you don’t need to.
“I know that if you are not healthy or not eligible to play, you won’t be put in jail if you don’t play, but there is also an economic incentive to play, and some people care more about it than others. But I think the season is long.”
Asked about the extension of ATP Masters 1000 tournaments this season, Djokovic said he’s always been against it.
“I felt from the very beginning I was against it. Actually, even when I was in the council, I think I was at the time president of the council, so I was not supportive of that,” Djokovic said last week at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. “I think for the players it’s not good.
“From one perspective you could say, I mean, for me at my age right now, to have the days between the tournaments is good. But I think overall for most of the players it just takes away the days in the schedule, in the calendar. Personally, I’m not supportive of that.
“I understand that there is upside to the tournaments and so forth, but as a player I never liked that. So I do empathize or sympathize with players who are against that, because now they are realizing, I guess, that it’s not really great.”
The 26-year-old Ruud, seeded second in Stockholm, said he plans to trim his schedule and absorb the financial hit in an effort to preserve his health.
“To have a mandatory event like Paris that late in the season makes the season really, really long,” Ruud said. “It’s the same for everyone, but going forward I will plan the schedule a bit differently, maybe skipping a few events here and there.”
“I had a very hectic 3 to 4 years since I reached the top 10. I played a lot of events, and I played some exhibitions in the preseason, so those are some choices that I have made, which I look back on and think I shouldn’t have done. For the future, that is something I will take into consideration.”
It’s an issue Ruud has contemplated in the past. Following his French Open second-round exit, Ruud shared he had been competing with a knee injury largely because of the ranking-point pressure and financial impact.
“It’s kind of like a rat race when it comes to the rankings, as well. You feel you’re obligated to play with certain rules that the ATP have set up with the mandatory events,” Ruud said at Roland Garros earlier this season. “You feel like you lose a lot if you don’t show up and play, both economically, point-wise, ranking-wise and opportunity-wise.
“For me I know these weeks and months are really important for the remaining of the year and for my career. Of course, if my leg is broken, I won’t play.
“But it’s tough anyways, especially when there’s a time with mandatory events to skip them because the punishments are quite hard, in terms of everyone else will play, gain points, and you won’t.”
Ruud, who suffered second round defeats at the Australian Open, Roland Garros and US Open this season, retired from his Rolex Shanghai Masters opener in the third set against Zizou Bergs. Ruud aims to bounce back in Stockholm where he reached the quarterfinals last year.
