Casper Ruud had a very unique plan for the Australian Open but it predictably failed with Bartoli questioning why he did it.
Ruud didn't have a full offseason like other players as he travelled to South America with Nadal for a joint exhibition tour. His break was a rather short one as his plan was to take a month off after the Australian Open.
After being in the final of the US Open and the Masters, I thought he would ride this wave. But he said very early on that he would go to the Australian Open just because it was a Grand Slam but he knew he would lose early and he would prepare for the new season after the Australian Open. I don’t remember ever hearing that from a player.
Predictably, Ruud lost fairly early in the event as he wasn't well prepared or well rested for it. Bartoli doesn't understand what he was thinking particularly with Djokovic being hampered at this year's edition.
He went on that tour and because of that, he took his holiday afterwards when the new season was about to start again so he didn’t have time to prepare for it. When you’re already a two-time Grand Slam finalist and also at the Masters, the next step is to win a major, that goes without saying and you accept not having any pre-season and having more or less no chance at the Australian Open, that’s a way of thinking that I don’t understand, that I think is weird but if he’s okay with it, great.