Article by Luminița Paul – Published on Thursday, 16 October 2025 21:20 / Updated on Friday, 17 October 2025 04:08
Casper Ruud (26, ATP No. 12) spoke after qualifying for the “quarters” at the ATP 250 in Stockholm about the extension of most Masters 1000 events from one week to two weeks, signaling that “ATP pulls one way, we pull the other.”
Norwegian Casper Ruudthe No. 2 seed in the Stockholm tournament, returned to European competition after a less successful Asian run and advanced to the quarterfinals with a 7-6 (2), 6-4 win over Marin Cilic (37 years old, world number 92).
He was then asked in the press conference about the Masters tournaments and their extended length, with only two of the nine remaining a week long.
Casper Ruud: “Monte Carlo and Paris are excellent examples”
“Personally, I'm not the biggest fan. It is also a matter of more trips, more nights spent away from home“, opined the former world number 2.
“Monte Carlo and Paris are great examples of how fast and intense the Masters can be. As a tennis fan, I think it's more fun when it's that intense and we have great matches right from the start,” he explained, referring to the only Masters contests that stick to their initial, short duration.
“But in theory this two-week format should help grow the game, so for our good, increase revenue and prize money — so I can understand the vision. I've been on the winning side of a two-week Masters and I've been on the losing side in the first round, but it still feels a bit too long, longer than it should be”concluded Casper, who this year won his first title in this category, in Madrid.
Casper Ruud: “It's a kind of compromise, we get a bonus, but we have to play”
“If you lose in the first round at, say, Indian Wells, you've got Miami in two weeks, so that's two weeks of expenses — living, food, team salaries,” he continued, when quizzed on the bigger prizes offered by extended tournaments.
“We are also compensated through the bonus pool and profit sharing, which are good ideas, so we get a small bonus in the end, but that requires playing. So it's kind of a compromise – they, the ATP, pull in one direction, we, the players, pull in the other“, the Norwegian pointed out.
3Masters 1000 finals, one won, Madrid 2025, and two lost, Miami 2022 and Monte Carlo 2024, has Casper Ruud on his record
Ruud also spoke about the level of aggression received by athletes on social media, with tennis players being among the most exposed.
“Unfortunately, this has become a common thing for sportsmen because of bettors who have no filter and are not ashamed of what they write. It's the dark side of this world. I try not to read and get affected by it. I like to think that they exaggerate and write crazy things because they are upset that I didn't get good results for their bets. It's generally sad“, was Casper Ruud's conclusion.
