Nothing has been going well since his Masters final last year for Ruud, who has failed to win back-to-back matches in his last four tournament appearances in 2023. The latest disappointment came on Sunday, with a defeat without soul of the Norwegian against Cristian Garin (6-4, 7-6) in the third round of Indian Wells, with 29 unforced errors, including 20 on his favorite weapon in the forehand.
Is he paying the price for a particular program there after an exhibition campaign in December with Nadal in South America, then in January in Abu Dhabi? “ I had two weeks of training and rest in February, and since Acapulco last week, my season has really started”he said during his pre-tournament press conference.
For now, it still hasn’t really started for the finalist of Roland-Garros and the US Open last year. And in Miami, he will soon have to defend the points of his final last year, lost against Carlos Alcaraz.