Ruud Falls to Borges, Injured at Roland Garros

Ruud Falls To Borges, Injured At Roland Garros

Casper Ruud’s Roland Garros dream ended abruptly on Wednesday. The Norwegian star, plagued by a nagging left knee injury, bowed out in the second round, falling to Portugal’s Nuno Borges 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-0.

Ruud started strong, taking the first set, but the knee pain soon took its toll. He even took a medical timeout in the third set. After that, it was all downhill. Ruud lost 13 of the last 14 games, including a brutal 6-0 final set.

“I’ve been battling left knee pain for weeks,” Ruud said in his post-match press conference. “I was managing it with painkillers and anti-inflammatories, but it flared up during the match, especially on my backhand.” (Tennis.com)

This exit is Ruud’s worst at Roland Garros since 2018, ending his impressive streak of semifinal appearances in Paris. The loss will cost him 750 ATP ranking points, dropping him down the ladder.

Nuno Borges, ranked 41st, made history as the first Portuguese man to reach the third round at Roland Garros. A big moment for Portugal’s tennis scene.

Ruud’s early departure is a big shake-up at this year’s French Open and a stark reminder of how injuries can derail even the best players.