Tennis players get used to playing through pain and discomfort during a long season.
Japan’s Naomi Osaka says she won two of her four Grand Slams while injured, adding: “I can rarely count the number of times I have felt perfect on the court.
“But I do know I’m the type of person that if I’m injured, I can almost play better.
“Not physically better but mentally, I’ll know I have to give all my energy into every point time and time again.”
Of course, injuries can be too severe – and the pain too much – to play through.
That is where Ruud and De Minaur believe players are being unfairly punished by the current structure.
“You feel like you lose a lot if you don’t show up and play – both economically, points-wise, rankings-wise and opportunity-wise,” said Ruud.
“I know these weeks and months are really important for the remainder of the year and for my career.
“Of course, if my leg is broken, I won’t play. But it’s tough.”
The ATP said there are “protections in place” for injured players, pointing to its Baseline programme, external which seeks to spread wealth further down the tour.
“Players ultimately have the freedom to choose where they compete, and for many years we’ve had financial incentives in place to encourage participation at the top events – because that’s what fans want to see,” it added.
“‘We continue to work to strike the right balance between performance, recovery, and opportunity, for all players.’
