Players calling out media is not alien in professional sports. Whether it’s misquoted statements or taken-out-of-context remarks, athletes often find themselves at odds with reporters. Ben Shelton recently voiced how he was “shocked” over how players were treated during this year’s Australian Open, calling for “more respect” in interviews and broadcasts. Now, Casper Ruud is the latest to take a stand, over the way his comments on Jannik Sinner’s doping case were presented. What did he say in the first place though?

It all began when Ruud’s remarks about Sinner’s three-month doping suspension were shared online. A journalist claimed that the Norwegian star had given his full support to Sinner during the ordeal. However, Ruud quickly called out the misleading report, labeling it “false” and an example of “untrustworthy journalism.”

Then, when his full statement on the matter was finally made public, Ruud found himself frustrated once again. A tennis journalist on X named ‘Olly Tennis’ shared portions of his comments, specifically his conversation with journalist Ben Rothenberg on ‘Bounces’. The post linked to the full article as well, but the quoted section left out a key part of Ruud’s explanation.

Here’s what was highlighted in the post: “Yeah. I think I feel sorry for Jannik. He’s, in my view, not done anything intentionally. And, you know, it is not the first time it has happened—but it doesn’t happen often—that settlements happen in a potential doping sentence, which was probably surprising for a few people. So, a settlement of three months—or a suspension of three months—was something that both were happy to do. Still, I feel sorry for Jannik. He will be out, he will miss 4 out of 9 Masters 1000s for something he didn’t intentionally do. So I hope he keeps his head high. Me personally, I’m always rooting for him. I think it’s a joy to watch him play, and I hope the three months go by quickly for him. Yeah, it’s just sad for him, and tennis as a sport, when the World No. 1 goes through something like this.”

Noticing that something was amiss, the Norwegian player directly responded to the post, asking, “May I ask why you chose to leave out parts of my answer?” His comment immediately sparked debate among fans, with some understanding his frustration and others defending the journalist’s approach.

It didn’t just end there as the journalist also issued a justification. What was said?

Casper Ruud gets justification for misconstrued quotes

In response, the journalist justified himself, stating, “I linked directly to Ben’s article AND stated ‘continued’. Leaving out this part doesn’t change your answer in any way, your sentiment is clear and I respect it…” The misunderstanding was finally resolved as the journalist, thereafter, posted a picture of the remaining quotes as well. And, the missing section provided important context to the World No. 5’s stance on settlements in doping cases

These were the missing quotes: “When you look at the legal system, it’s not unusual that it happens when someone is about to go to trial. I mean, there are many other cases where settlements happened just before a trial. So, my understanding, if I was in Jannik’s shoes, of course I would love to have the possibility to defend myself in an open trial, which I’m sure he was going for. But when you go trial, there is—if I try to put myself in his shoes—I mean, if you go to trial, there’s always a risk that you might be found guilty, even if you aren’t guilty, if the juries or the judges see things in a different way. I mean, look at how many cases in the world someone has gone to jail when he wasn’t guilty, or she wasn’t guilty. So, I mean, there’s always a risk that you might be found guilty even though you aren’t.”

Ruud seemed satisfied with the explanation and responded, “Thank you for a quick response👍”—bringing an end to the brief controversy.

While his words make headlines off the court, Ruud stays focused on his game. He kicked off his 2025 Mexican Open campaign with a solid 6-4, 6-3 win over Arthur Rinderknech. Up next, he’ll face either Aleksandar Vukic or wild card Rodrigo Pacheco Mendez in the second round, as he looks to make a deep run in Acapulco.

For now, Casper Ruud has put the media drama behind him. But with tennis players increasingly challenging the way their words are reported (or misreported), could we see more athletes taking control of their narratives?