Casper Ruud, opening-round casualty at Indian Wells, was still at Tennis Garden during quarterfinals

📣 🚨Attention tennis fans traveling to Indian Wells: Casper Ruud is still on the premises. We repeat, keep your eyes peeled for three-time Grand Slam finalist Casper Ruud.

With the BNP Paribas Open wrapping up in just a few days, eliminated players have shifted their focus to the next event—also a combined 1000—the Miami Open. This is normal behavior for a professional tennis player: arrive, compete, depart, repeat.

So why is world No. 5 still hanging around Indian Wells?

Ruud entered two draws at the BNP Paribas Open, men’s singles—and mixed doubles, with countrywoman Ulrikke Eikeri. He fell to Marcos Giron in his opening singles match, way back on Friday, Day 3. On the following Tuesday, the Norwegian team fell to Andrey Rublev and Nicole Melichar-Martinez in mixed.

Indian Wells is one calendar event that always sees singles players signing up for some doubles action, so Ruud’s participation was unsurprising. What is notable, however, is that two days later, Ruud was spotted training in the player facilities at Indian Wells Tennis Garden, watching the quarterfinal action from behind the scenes.

Ruud’s run at BNP Paribas Open 2025 is long over. He should’ve already settled into South Florida, with the other departed who’ve flocked across the country. So why hasn’t he?

On both the ATP and WTA tours, players have been vocal about the intense tournament calendar, week in and week out. World No. 2 Iga Swiatek even went onto blame the calendar for losing in the Middle East.

“We're not going to be able to be consistent for many years playing week by week,” she said in Dubai about the numerous early losses by top seeds. “We need to switch continents, we need to switch surfaces, we need to switch the balls. Yeah, it's not easy.”

After losing his first match at Indian Wells, whose main draw spans 12 days, perhaps Ruud is looking to ground himself ahead of Miami. A sense of routine could be the difference in improving his outdoor hard performance.

>>> Read More: A piece of plastic might be the key to Ruud winning his first hard-court title in four years

Maybe he’s just soaking in the desert sun, which he did during last year’s Indian Wells quarterfinals run—another fantastic excuse to search for him on the grounds during BNP Paribas Open championship weekend, if you ask this Tennis Traveler.

In tenth year on tour, Ruud has plenty of experience competing at the back-to-back Masters 1000s. Making the decision not to hop the first flight out was a calculated one. Keep in mind that while he’s only reached the Indian Wells quarterfinals, he was a finalist in Miami back in 2022.

This decision to stay at Indian Wells following an early loss isn’t isolated. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Karen Khachanov have also been spotted at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden following their third-round losses (in the behind-the-scenes Indian Wells feed), training at the player-allotted facilities while the tournament progresses.

While training in Indian Wells can build routine and provide a wellness recharge, these players are gambling on their ability to adapt to different conditions in Florida. Indian Wells introduced new courts this year, which has players split on comfortability. Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, for example, likes “playing with the wind”—and it shows.

>>> Read More: Here’s what the top seeds had to say about the surface change at Indian Wells

Khachanov has also reached the Miami Open semifinals, the year following Ruud’s run, while Perricard has yet to compete in the Florida conditions.

Perhaps the Frenchman is taking notes from 10+ year competitors as he figures out his own Sunshine Swing routine. Or are simply participating in a Californian underground book club.

As this Tennis Traveler follows the best of the best across the calendar year, one thing’s for certain: Ruud will soon reveal itself in Miami, as Tennis Channel’s exclusive coverage of the Sunshine Swing moves to Florida in four days’ time.