Game, Set, Recharge: How Casper Ruud keeps up his ‘clean and strict’ diet on the road

PARIS, France — Riding high after capturing the biggest title of his career—his first ATP Masters 1000 in Madrid—an in-form Casper Ruud arrived in Paris with momentum, but also with something to prove after managing only one game in a Rome quarterfinal rout to Jannik Sinner.

On Monday, the two-time Roland Garros finalist got off to a confident start, easing past Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 to extend his perfect first-round record in Paris to 8-0.

But while his tennis may be under control, managing his “clean and strict” diet on the road? That’s a different challenge altogether.

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Last year, Ruud battled a stomach bug late in his Paris campaign—something the No. 7 seed is keen to avoid repeating.

“It’s not easy, I tell you, because we are pretty much in a new city every week or every second week,” he told Tennis.com in Paris.

🍽️ Fueling for the Tour

Staying consistent with nutrition goals is no small feat on the pro tennis circuit. Temptation is always around the corner as they regularly compete in foodie havens—just try resisting the local cuisine in Rome, Paris, New York or Hong Kong. Add in varying food safety standards, and even the most disciplined players can struggle to stick to their plans.

While a private chef might solve the problem, that luxury is reserved for the tour’s top earners. Novak Djokovic, for instance, often travels with a chef to help manage his plant-based, gluten-free diet and intermittent fasting regimen.

Read More: Novak Djokovic shares his diet regimen on Tennis United

“That’s an investment that I’ve thought about in the past, but it’s practically quite hard because you would need a place with a kitchen, to have fresh food all the time. It’s not easy at all,” Ruud explained.

“Hotels are more practical for us because if you lose, you can just check out and leave. If you’re renting a private place, you need to rent it for the whole stay in case you make the final or win the tournament.

“It’s a pretty big commitment financially to do that. I haven’t found the budget for it and the need for it.”

🍚 Inside Casper’s Tournament Diet

When he’s in tournament mode, Ruud keeps it simple:

“I try to eat clean and strict,” Ruud tells me. “I have, of course, my favorite types of food, like everyone I guess. I don’t eat greasy, fatty food typically during tournaments.

“It’s kind of boring: just a lot of rice, some pasta every now and then. I feel a bit heavy when I eat too much pasta. I keep it mostly to rice and some kind of protein.”

He’s also grown wary of raw vegetables and salads—foods he now avoids when traveling due to prior bouts of food poisoning.

🥬 The Hidden Risks

“If you’re in countries where the water is not clean enough, how can you be sure that it’s not cleaned in the wrong way?” he explained.

Ruud found that out the hard way, after falling ill multiple times last season due to gastrointestinal issues. He was also among several top seeds who withdrew from this year’s Acapulco event with stomach problems.

“Salad and vegetables is what you are told is going to be good for you, at the same time it’s a quite big risk when it’s not cooked or cleaned well,” he lamented. “It’s kind of tough.

“You’re always thinking, where did I go last year and didn’t get sick? I’ll go back to that restaurant, probably.”