Casper Ruud is set to face Felix Auger-Aliassime at the 2024 Cincinnati Open, but there is a good chance he won't, as he's been dealing with health issues for the past few days.
Ruud has had a successful season so far, with some notable results, but it doesn't seem likely to continue at the Cincinnati Open. He's had some good moments at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati in the past, making the quarter-final in 2021, but this year's edition will likely be derailed by his health.
Ruud arrived in Montreal with the hope of washing away the disappointment from Paris. He went to the Paris Olympics, hoping to secure a medal for his country, but it didn't work out.
He was beaten in the quarter-final by the player he should face in his upcoming match at the Cincinnati Open. Ruud faced Auger-Aliassime twice this year and lost both times, but that's hardly his biggest problem now.
It's the flu he's been battling for the past five days. The Norwegian was in Montreal, starting the Canadian Open with a solid win over James Duckworth. He was supposed to face Sebastian Korda next but withdrew from the match due to illness.
That illness turned out to be the flu, which had plagued him for the past five days. He did make the trip to Cincinnati, but when asked about it by the NTB, he didn't sound too optimistic about playing.
He confirmed that the flu has been bothering him quite a bit, even forcing him to stay in bed most days, so he couldn't practice at all. He was feeling a bit better on Wednesday and gave it a go in practice to see where he stands.
"There have been some tough days where I have been bedridden, quite simply. I have had the flu, and it has lasted 5-6 days. Fortunately, I feel a little better today, and I will try to test in training how it can go, but I don't have too high hopes for how well I can feel, he told NTB on Wednesday."
He plans to practice on Thursday ahead of the match as well after which he will make a call on whether to play or not. Even if he plays, Ruud is likely going to be severely hampered against Auger-Alaissime, who has proven to be a really tough matchup for him.
They played eight times so far, and while the H2H score is 4-4, the Canadian won both of their matches this year. The Norwegian is generally not a player who does much harm to his career with his choices, so he will likely settle on what is best for him.
Even as a superb athlete in peak physical condition, the flu can drain Ruud enough for his body to feel weak, so he might just skip this event and get ready for the US Open, where he reached the final in 2022.
0 Comments