Ruud: Be honest about your inner struggles and seek professional help to improve your mindset

Norway's Ruud reached his third Masters final at this year's Madrid Masters, having lost to Alcaraz and Tsitsipas in his first two finals. This time, Ruud will once again challenge for the first Masters title at the Magic Box Stadium. Clay is Ruud's best form of court, but the past month has been quite difficult for him.

Ludo

Last year, Ruud finished runner-up at the Monte Carlo Masters and won the championship in Barcelona, but twelve months later he is only 3-2 and drops out of the top 10 in the world rankings two weeks ago. For tennis players, struggles are inevitable, but the Norwegian quickly bounced back from the doldrums and saw a resurgence in form at the Madrid Masters, where he will return to the top 10 in the world rankings next week.

Speaking in his post-match press conference on Thursday, he confessed his struggles over the past period and realised he needed to seek professional help, which quickly paid off.

"I've been in a bad mental state this year, I feel like I'm running in a hamster wheel and standing still, even getting stuck, and I need to jump out and look at my direction and feelings. I sought professional help and it really worked. Now I wake up every day with a smile on my face, I feel happier and I'm feeling better. I'm glad I was able to be honest with my inner voice at the time, and the rewards for asking for help came sooner than I thought. In terms of mental state, I really feel like this week is much better than last week, or even the first two or three weeks. "

I think I'm back in that hamster wheel, but with a different mindset – now I understand that professional footballers are going through mental struggles and struggles. Tennis is not just about playing the ball well and running around the court, it is also a deep game with your heart. "

Can Ruud, who has been reborn, win her maiden Masters title in Madrid? Let's wait and see. His final opponent is British brother Draper, and it will be the first meeting between the two sides.

(Compiled by Faye Wong, Picture / Visual China)