Casper Ruud Balances Australian Open Dreams with Fatherhood

Former world No 2 wins opening round but has his mind elsewhere Last updated: January 20, 2026 | 16:02 Jaydip Sengupta, Pages Editor Dubai: He has been the nearly-man of men’s tennis, having reached three Grand Slam finals – twice at the French Open in 2022 and 2023 and once at US Open in 2022 – besides making the title round at the ATP Tour Finals in 2022 and being ranked No 2 in the world that same year. But for Casper Ruud, currently ranked no 12 in the world, ‘nearly-man’ is not a tag he wants to wear anymore, as he moves through the Australian Open field in anticipation following his first-round victory over Italian Mattia Bellucci on Monday. Exhibition match The Norwegian, who was chosen to play Roger Federer in an exhibition match in the lead-up to the Australian Open on Friday, admitted his focus was not entirely on the tournament and said he is sure where he wants to be if he gets a call from Maria, his heavily pregnant wife. The 27-year-old star and his wife are expecting their first child any day and Ruud says he is prepared to drop everything – including his racquet – and make a mad dash home when the call comes. "I have to thank Maria for letting me go in the first place. I know she's at home resting, getting ready," said Ruud. "Except for when I'm playing a match, the ringer (on my phone) is on all hours of the day just in case. "If she goes into labour I probably won't be here the next day," he added. "But that's the way it goes. There's more to life than just tennis, but I'm going to be here for as long as I can and as long as Maria lets me." Ruud next plays Spain's Jaume Munar in the second round and is sure to be tempted to check his phone during the changeovers. Also In This Package Ruud beats Draper to clinch Madrid Open Five memorable storylines from the Australian Open Jaydip is a Pages Editor at Gulf News and has sports running in his veins. While specializing in Tennis and Formula 1, he also makes sure to stay on top of cricket, football, golf, athletics and anything related to sports in general. Known for his ability to dig out exclusive stories and land interviews with the biggest names in sports, Jaydip has built up a remarkable portfolio in almost 25 years of journalism, with one-on-one interviews of Michael Schumacher, Roger Federer, Usain Bolt and Tiger Woods, just to name a few. Besides sports, Jaydip also has a keen interest in films and geopolitics. Sign up for the Daily Briefing Get the latest news and updates straight to your inbox Up Next