For the second straight day, the Paris heat scorched Roland Garros at 91.4 degrees, turning water stations into crowded lifelines and shower sprinklers into brief moments of relief. Yet fans refused to retreat, flooding packed courts and enduring long waits for a glimpse of tennis’s biggest stars battling on intimate arenas that felt more like neighborhood clubs than Grand Slam stages. Amid the suffocating conditions, two-time finalist Casper Ruud feared his French Open journey was already slipping away, believing Monday’s opener could send him straight back to Oslo.

Casper Ruud looked to be cruising comfortably in his Roland Garros opener against Roman Safiullin before the brutal Paris heat completely changed the rhythm of the match. Ruud had already earned five match points in the third set, but the momentum slowly slipped away as physical problems began to take over on Court Simonne-Mathieu.

As the match progressed, Ruud started struggling physically and later admitted that the warning signs appeared midway through the third set. The Norwegian revealed that cramping began creeping into his legs just when he thought he was closing in on victory against the Russian qualifier.

“It started kind of sneaking up on me towards the middle of the third set,” he told the press. “I think when I broke him to 3-1, I started feeling a tiny bit of tendency of cramp in my calves, and I was thinking, ‘Oh, shoot, here we go.’”

At one stage, Ruud appeared completely in control while leading 5-2 in the third set. However, Safiullin suddenly produced a remarkable comeback, winning 11 consecutive games to completely flip the contest and force the match into a deciding fifth set.

The difficult conditions forced Ruud to rely heavily on medical assistance during the match. He took medical timeouts, wrapped himself in ice towels, and repeatedly poured water over himself during changeovers in an attempt to cool down and stay physically stable.

Yet the physical suffering was not limited to Ruud alone. Safiullin also began experiencing injury concerns late in the fourth set and eventually needed treatment while dominating the scoreboard.

The current world No. 141 called the physio while leading 5-0 and took a medical timeout on court. He lay down for treatment as medical staff appeared to work on a thigh or hip problem that had started troubling him badly.

After Safiullin managed to close out the fourth set with a bagel, both players immediately left the court for a bathroom break. They remained away for an extended period before eventually returning for a dramatic fifth set battle.

Despite the physical exhaustion and momentum swings, Ruud somehow regained control when the decider began. The 15th seed eventually completed a grueling 6-2 7-6 (7-5) 5-7 0-6 6-2 victory after 3 hours and 56 exhausting minutes.

Later, Ruud admitted the experience reminded him of a frightening episode from earlier in his career. “It was a bit of a kind of heat stroke feeling. I had experienced something similar some years ago in Washington DC and I had to retire. I felt at times really dizzy, just really tired and walking around like a zombie, almost.”

Ruud also reflected on the painful moment when victory seemed certain before suddenly slipping away in the third set. “Obviously, 5-3, 40-15 up, you think you have it. Then I made five first serves in a row, and he played five good points, and I ended up missing a forehand winner on the break point for him. That was the toughest service break I’ve experienced in a while.” 

As he battled through the opening round, the Norwegian drew inspiration from fellow players around him to somehow survive the physical and mental test.

Casper Ruud drew inspiration from Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz to keep fighting

Casper Ruud refused to let the brutal conditions end his Roland Garros campaign early, even when his body was clearly struggling under the Paris heat. He admitted that, no matter how exhausted he felt physically, he preferred losing while standing on court rather than leaving the match midway.

“I thought of Jannik and Carlos this year in Australia,” he said while reflecting on the inspiration that kept him mentally alive during the difficult stages of the match.

Ruud later recalled the physical suffering endured by Carlos Alcaraz against Alexander Zverev during the AO semifinals. He also remembered how Jannik Sinner battled extreme heat earlier in the tournament.

“Jannik, in particular, when he was struggling in the heat. Then it cooled off with the roof closing, and he was able to regain energy. A little bit the same with Carlos’s semifinal with Sascha. He looked pretty dead for a while and then somehow regained and came back in the fifth. There are some things you think out there, and today that worked for me.”

After finally surviving the marathon first-round battle and moving into the second round, Ruud spoke proudly about the mental toughness he showed throughout the contest. “Physically, also, I’m proud because I never really gave in. I didn’t give up.”

Now, with another dramatic Roland Garros escape behind him, fans will expect Ruud to carry that same fighting spirit deeper into this year’s French Open and continue battling through every challenge ahead.