Casper Ruud’s Red-Hot Run Continues: Key Moments, Stats & What’s Next for the 2025 Tennis Season

Norway’s clay-court specialist Casper Ruud, twice a finalist in Paris, was sensationally knocked out of Roland-Garros 2025 after a four-set defeat to Portugal’s Nuno Borges on Court Simonne-Mathieu, 6-3 4-6 6-4 6-2. Early warning signs appeared late in the opening set when the seventh seed called for the trainer to massage his upper right leg, an issue that seemed to hamper his trademark heavy-topspin forehand. Ruud managed to level the match but produced 35 unforced errors across the final two sets, a stark contrast to Borges’ 26 winners and fearless net play. Coach and father Christian Ruud confirmed post-match that the 26-year-old aggravated a minor hip flexor strain sustained during his Rome quarter-final loss to Jannik Sinner, but insisted the problem is “not season-threatening.” Implications for the ATP Race • Ruud falls from fourth to seventh in the live Race to Turin, putting pressure on the Scandinavian ahead of the grass-court swing. • Borges, ranked No. 53, reaches the third round of a major for the first time and will crack the Top 40 next Monday, a Portuguese record. Stat check • Ruud’s Paris win–loss record slips to 18-5. • The Norwegian had won 20 consecutive matches against players ranked outside the Top 50 on clay before today. • Borges’ victory marks the first time since 2016 that a Portuguese man has defeated a Top-10 opponent at a Slam. What’s next for Ruud? Medical tests in Oslo are scheduled for Friday, after which Ruud will decide whether to enter the ATP 250 event in Stuttgart or rest until Queen’s Club. His camp insists Wimbledon participation “is not in doubt,” but the setback raises questions about match fitness on faster surfaces where explosive movement is vital. Why this upset matters Ruud has been the tour’s most consistent clay performer behind Carlos Alcaraz, amassing three titles and a 26-6 record on the surface since April 2024. A premature Roland-Garros exit not only dents his ranking points haul—it also disrupts crucial momentum ahead of the Olympic Games, which return to these very courts in two months. Quotes of the day • Borges: “I tried to play free and not let Casper dictate. Seeing him on the other side is intimidating, but I focused on every return and believed.” • Ruud: “It’s frustrating because I felt my game click in the second set. The hip tightened and my legs stopped responding. Credit to Nuno—he deserved it.” Looking forward With Alcaraz, Sinner and defending champion Alexander Zverev still in the draw, the men’s field opens up even further. For Ruud, rehab and recalibration are now the immediate priorities as he bids to stay in the ATP Finals picture and finally add a maiden Slam to his résumé in New York later this summer. Fans and analysts will watch closely: can Casper Ruud rebound from Paris pain to script a summer resurgence, or will this upset mark the beginning of a ranking free fall? The road to redemption starts with recovery.