The complaint Casper Ruud has heard rival players making to umpires which he finds ‘funny’

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Casper Ruud has highlighted a bizarre grievance loads of ATP players always complain to the umpire about.

It’s not been completely smooth sailing for Casper Ruud recently on court.

The Norwegian has failed to win consecutive singles matches since the US Open. Seeded second in Basel, Ruud was stunned in his opener by resurgent Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut.

While the three time grand slam finalist is known for his clay court prowess, the hard-courts do come as a close second.

A measured and sensible head on-court nonetheless, Ruud stands in stark contrast to many of his volatile ATP colleagues.

Casper Ruud reveals ‘funny’ complaint ATP players make

With Novak Djokovic kicking up a fuss in Shanghai, Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas whinging about their various shortcomings, and Frances Tiafoe swearing at the umpire, on-court behaviour has never seemed much worse.

Addressing this recent rise of angry tennis players, Ruud explained what a lot of stars currently complain about – an issue he considers completely pointless.

Speaking on the Nothing Major podcast, Ruud said: “For me what is funny with some players is that they come five days in advance to practice, and I do it myself a lot of the time, unless you are going from tournament to tournament.

“They string like 28 rackets to get the right tension because people are super into strings. Then they come to the fourth round and they start complaining about the balls, but it’s been the same ball for the last nine days.

“What is the point in bringing it up now to the umpire? What is he going to change?” Ruud laughed.

With controversy over a new ITF rule, I doubt that the player discontent will subside anytime soon.

• READ MORE: Casper Ruud picks who was tougher to face in a Grand Slam final – Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal

Can Casper Ruud qualify for the ATP Finals?

A strong start to the season saw Ruud clinch two titles, reach a further three finals, and make the semi-finals of Roland Garros.

However, the Norwegian has failed to make the latter stages of any event since the French Open and an opening-round loss in Basel has not helped his qualification prospects.

Djokovic’s withdrawal from the Paris Masters, where he is defending champion, puts his chance of qualification in peril. 

With Alex de Minaur still fresh off a long-term injury, and Andrey Rublev as unpredictable as ever, Ruud may just sneak in to Turin.

Whether he’ll be able to make much impact there, well that’s a another question!