Casper Ruud recently criticized the demanding and “tough” ATP schedule after Holger Rune sustained a bizarre injury at the 2025 Stockholm Open. The Dane suffered a foot injury during the semifinals, leading to his withdrawal from the tournament.
Rune was the top seed at the ATP 250 hard-court event in Sweden, and he began his campaign in the second round after receiving a first-round bye. He defeated Márton Fucsovics (6-4, 6-4) in his opening match and overcame Tomás Martín Etcheverry (6-7(4), 6-3, 6-4 in the quarterfinals.
In the semifinals, Rune faced Ugo Humbert and was leading the match 6-4, 2-2, when he suffered a leg injury, which caused him to retire from the match. His mother, Aneke Rune, later confirmed that he had torn his Achilles tendon.
Casper Ruud Criticizes ‘Tough Schedule’ for Holger Rune’s Injury at Stockholm Open 2025
Following Rune’s retirement from the semifinals at the 2025 Stockholm Open, Ruud spoke to SpilXperten about how the ATP Tour’s “tough schedule” is affecting the players.
Ruud explained that competing in back-to-back tournaments can be “very demanding” on a player’s body. He noted that since Rune participated in the 2025 Shanghai Masters before heading to Sweden, his body may not have been able to withstand the pressure.
“It’s very demanding when you go directly from tournament to tournament. Holger was in Shanghai last week, and when something is so demanding, something like this can unfortunately happen,” Ruud said (translated from Danish).
The Norwegian mentioned that all players are at risk of injury when they step onto the court and suggested that many injuries could be attributed to the “tough” ATP schedule.
“We’re all in some kind of risk zone when we step onto the pitch, but whether his injury has a direct connection to the tough schedule, I’m not sure. In a way, all injuries are probably because of the tough schedule,” he continued.
Ruud mentioned that playing according to the ATP schedule has been taking a toll on the players’ bodies as they are pushing their limits. He also wished Rune a speedy recovery.
“It’s tough of course, and we’re really pushing our own limits at the moment. Holger was one of those who could still make it to the season finale, so his limit was definitely pushed too, and it’s just really unfortunate that it ended this way for him. I really wish him a speedy recovery,” Ruud added.
At the 2025 Stockholm Open, Ruud, seeded second, advanced to the final by defeating Marin Čilić (7-6(2), 6-4), Sebastian Korda (6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4), and third-seeded Denis Shapovalov (6-3, 6-4).
Ruud Is One Win Away From Winning the 2025 Stockholm Open
Following his victory over Shapovalov in the semifinals of the 2025 Stockholm Open, Ruud will play Humbert in the tournament’s final.
In the lead-up to the ATP 250 hard-court tournament in Sweden, Humbert participated in the 2025 Shanghai Masters, where he defeated Jordan Thompson in his opening match before falling to Rune in the third round.
At the Stockholm Open, Humbert, seeded fourth, began his campaign in the second round after receiving a first-round bye. He won his opening match against Matteo Berrettini with a scoreline of 7-6(5), 6-3.
In the quarterfinals, the Frenchman eliminated Lorenzo Sonego with a 6-7(3), 6-0, 6-3 score and advanced to the final against Ruud after his semifinal opponent, Rune, retired from their match due to a torn Achilles tendon.
Ruud and Humbert have faced each other five times on the ATP Tour, with the former World No. 13 winning three of those encounters. Their most recent matchup was in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters, which Ruud won with a score of 6-3, 4-6, 6-1. The Norwegian then went on to finish as the runner-up after losing to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final.
