Casper Ruud is out of Wimbledon after losing in straight sets to Hubert Hurkacz in the first round on Monday.

Hurkacz defeated Ruud 6–4, 6–2, 7–6(7), handing the Norwegian an early exit from the All England Club.

The defeat continued Ruud’s difficult record on grass. He has never gone beyond the second round at Wimbledon, and the surface remains the weakest part of his Grand Slam record.

Ruud said after the match that grass forces him to play against the habits that have made him successful on clay. He said he needs to do “everything opposite” from the way he has played for most of his career.

The Norwegian pointed to several adjustments, including using less topspin, flattening out his shots and adapting to different movement on grass. He also said the short grass season makes it difficult to justify a major change in preparation.

Ruud last played a grass-court tournament outside Wimbledon in 2021. His best results have come on clay, where he has won 12 of his 14 ATP Tour titles and reached two French Open finals, Ubitennis wrote.

Ruud said the clay season takes a physical and mental toll, and that he values the break after Roland Garros before the second half of the season. He added that he is willing to arrive at Wimbledon less than fully prepared if that helps him stay fresher later in the year.

More clay events follow after Wimbledon, giving Ruud a chance to return to the surface where he has built most of his career success.