Casper Ruud is trying to focus on tennis right now, but his mind might be somewhere else entirely.
The Norwegian player had a pretty tough 2025 season. He dropped out of the Top 10 for the first time in years, so getting back up there is obviously a huge priority.
But there’s something way more important on his mind.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casper Ruud | 27 | 4,025 | 39 - 10 |
Ruud and his wife Maria Galligani are expecting their first child any day now. And that’s creating some pretty unique challenges for his tennis schedule.
He’s currently playing at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, as the second seed. But he’s basically playing with his phone in his pocket, waiting for that call.
Maria didn’t make the trip to Australia with him – which makes sense given how close she is to her due date.
Ruud got his 2026 season started at the United Cup, where he beat Alex de Minaur but then lost to Jakub Mensik. Now he’s in Auckland with a first-round bye, set to face Fabian Marozsan in the second round.
That is, if he’s still there.
Ready to Drop Everything
The 27-year-old is being pretty honest about his situation. He knows he might have to bail on the tournament at any moment.
"Honestly, she [the baby] can come any time now. So hopefully I get to stay for the rest of the tournament, but you never know. I might get a call and be on the plane back home out of here."
It’s not exactly an easy trip either. Flying from New Zealand back to Norway takes about 24 hours with connections.
"It’s no short trip back home, so hopefully she stays in for a few extra weeks, and I can be there for the birth, and later in the year we’ll have our wedding and celebrate our marriage."
So yeah, 2026 is going to be a pretty massive year for Ruud off the court.
Tennis Goals Still Matter
But when he can focus on tennis, Ruud’s got some serious goals. Last season was really disappointing by his standards – this is a guy who made three Grand Slam finals between 2022 and 2022.
He did manage to win two titles in 2025, which isn’t terrible. But for someone who’s been ranked as high as No. 2 in the world, it felt like a step backward.
"(2026) will be a really fun year, but if we put those (family) things aside and think about tennis, I think it can be an exciting year. Last season was, in a way, not what I was hoping for, but at the same time, I really played some good tennis. I got two titles last year, and hopefully play more like I did those two weeks for this season coming up now."
Australian Open Hopes
After Auckland (assuming he stays), Ruud will head to Melbourne for the Australian Open. He’s seeded in the Top 15, which means he’ll avoid the big guns like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in the early rounds.
That’s good news, because the Australian Open has never been kind to him.
His best result there is reaching the fourth round back in 2021. Since then, he’s only made it past the second round once. For a guy who’s made finals at the French Open (twice), US Open, and been consistently strong at Wimbledon, Melbourne has been his kryptonite.
But maybe becoming a dad will give him some extra motivation. Or maybe it’ll give him perspective that tennis isn’t everything.
Either way, he’s got his priorities straight. If Maria calls, the racquet gets dropped and he’s on the next flight home.
That’s probably exactly how it should be.
