Casper Ruud posts emotional message after Madrid Open loss

Norwegian tennis star Casper Ruud has thanked his fans for their support after losing to Matteo Arnaldi in the second round of the Madrid Open on Friday.

Ruud, who was the runner-up at the French Open and the US Open last year, has struggled to find his form in 2023. He has won only one title - in Estoril - and has failed to advance past the fourth round of any other tournament.

The World No. 5 was hoping to regain his confidence on clay, his favorite surface, on Friday. However, he was outplayed by the young Italian Arnaldi, who won 6-3, 6-4 in an hour and 17 minutes.

Ruud took to Instagram to express his gratitude and determination to bounce back.

“You can’t always get what you want. I’ve had so many upsides in this sport, so the passion is strong to get it right. The work continues… Thank you for the support, this means a lot🙏 Congrats to Matteo for a great match yesterday. Good luck in @mutuamadridopen," Casper Ruud captioned his post.

Ruud, who was awarded the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award in 2022, also praised his opponent Matteo Arnaldi. The Italian is ranked No. 105 and reached his first Masters 1000 quarter-final with the win.

Matteo Arnaldi will face Jaume Munar in the last eight on Sunday (April 30). Casper Ruud, meanwhile, will hope to recover his form and rankings ahead of the French Open, which starts on May 21.

---

Madrid Open: Ex-Coach of Andre Agassi blames Casper Ruud’s low confidence for early loss

Casper Ruud at Mutua Madrid Open

Casper Ruud's disappointing performance continued as he lost his opening match against Matteo Arnaldi in straight sets at the Madrid Open. The Norwegian was perhaps the favorite going into the match, but he struggled to cope with his opponent's powerful shots.

After the match, Brad Gilbert, the former coach of Andre Agassi, commented on Ruud's poor form. He stated that the Norwegian's low confidence levels were affecting his performance.

Gilbert took to social media to express his thoughts on Ruud's performance.

"Up early watching Madrid [Open], Ruud awakening, he is struggling atm. Confidence is such fine line. Once the results come off a bit, players come on court to play you with a completely different attitude," Brad Gilbert tweeted.

The defeat against Arnaldi was Ruud's eighth loss of the season.