Casper Ruud’s 2024 Nitto ATP Finals campaign was a testament to his resilience on one of the biggest stages in tennis. After a season of battling inconsistencies, the Norwegian found his best form in Turin, starting his tournament with a stunning straight-sets victory over the then-world No. 3, Carlos Alcaraz. The win, which Ruud described as “one of the best wins of the season,” was a significant confidence booster, marking his first Top 10 win in months. Despite the semifinal exit, Ruud’s 2024 run in Turin was a successful resurgence, setting a high bar for the following season.

A year later, the narrative was completely turned upside down. As confirmed by journalist José Morgado, who reported on X, “2024 semifinalist Casper Ruud won’t make the ATP Finals in 2025 after losing in the 2nd round in Paris. Still got a chance to go as an alternate (he is 2nd alternate atm). Never look 100% fit in the last two weeks…”

Casper Ruud’s path to the 2025 ATP Finals has now met a significant obstacle. The Norwegian, seeded eighth at the tournament, was defeated in straight sets, 6-3, 7-5, by Germany’s Daniel Altmaier, who is ranked 50th in the world. This loss effectively ends Ruud’s chance to automatically qualify for the 2025 season finale as he’s stuck in 11th in the live rankings. The defeat in Paris is part of a challenging final stretch for Ruud, who recently acknowledged the physical and mental toll of the long season.

Just before the Paris Masters, he commented, “It’s the final stretch, we are all giving our best efforts. The key is to find balance, not pushing to the limit of a complicated injury. Now we want to finish the year in the best possible way, but we also need to consider that the next season is starting soon.” Well, his current ranking of No. 11 positions him just outside the direct qualification spots, making him an alternate should two vacancies arise (as Jack Draper is in 10th and Felix Auger Aliassime in 9th).

However, with Daniil Medvedev hot on his heels in 12th and only a little under 200 points behind, Ruud will have to hope the Russian doesn’t continue his late season surge in Paris. For an athlete of Ruud’s caliber, whose game has proven so well-suited to the Finals stage in the past, being relegated to the second alternate is a disappointing one. It serves as a reminder of the fine margins at the sport’s pinnacle, where a single loss can dramatically alter year-end ambitions, but a late call-up can provide an unexpected path back to the spotlight.

However, the demanding tennis schedule has surely taken a toll on the athletes’ well-being, as the Norwegian faced a significant issue during this particular tournament.

Casper Ruud’s late season struggles

Before the Shanghai Masters, Casper Ruud was all about confidence, saying, “I’ve played several very good matches lately. I felt great in San Francisco, and continuing that level of play in Beijing meant a lot to me. Overcoming jet lag and the hardships of a long journey. Avoiding the first match of the tournament, where I was close to losing, changed something in my mind and my tennis.”

After a great performance at the Laver Cup and a fantastic run to the semifinals at the Japan Open, where he almost took down Carlos Alcaraz, Ruud felt positive about using his current form in Shanghai to rack up important points for Turin. However, Ruud’s run at the Shanghai Masters came to an unexpected end when he faced Belgium’s Zizou Bergs in the Round of 64. It was a tough and unfortunate ending for him, as he had to pull out of the contest while down 1-4 in the third set.

The match was quite a struggle, with Ruud snagging the first set 6-3, but then Bergs came back strong to take the second set 7-5. This season, the Norwegian has dealt with quite a few similar issues. Indeed, he had to withdraw from Wimbledon because of that pesky knee injury.

Before his exit in Paris, Ruud also had to withdraw from his quarterfinal at the Swiss Indoors due to injury. A situation made more unfortunate considering it occurred when it looked like he was building some momentum by reaching the final of the Stockholm Open just before.

We’ll just have to wait and see if luck will give him another shot at securing a spot in the ATP Finals.