Casper Ruud

Discover Casper Ruud's Tennis Gear and Order Online

Norwegian tennis player Casper Ruud has been considered one of the most promising talents on the ATP Tour since a young age, and he's already set numerous records for his home country. For instance, he's the first Norwegian ever to win an ATP tournament, and with a ranking of No. 8, Ruud holds the highest ATP ranking in his country's history. Born on December 22, 1998, near Oslo, the 1.83m right-hander started playing at just four years old at his hometown club, Snarøya Tennis. Passion for the sport was practically in his blood: his father Christian, who remains his coach to this day, also played professional tennis and was once ranked as high as No. 39 in the world. Even so, Casper Ruud's idol growing up was the exceptional Spanish player Rafael Nadal, at whose academy he now trains regularly.

A Feared Counter-Puncher

As a defensively minded baseliner, Casper Ruud is a feared counter-puncher. Much to his opponents' frustration, he keeps sending the ball back time and again, wearing them down and forcing errors. The Norwegian is usually right on time to the ball, and his blistering topspin forehand makes life difficult for opponents. It's his most potent weapon on court and a key source of points for him. His serve and backhand, on the other hand, are more average, which is why he often runs around his backhand to unleash his signature forehand instead. Although it frequently pays off and earns him plenty of points, Casper Ruud rarely comes to the net. The Norwegian tennis star names clay as his favorite surface, even though he's had plenty of notable success on hard courts too.

Milestones in Casper Ruud's Career

Casper Ruud was already highly successful as a junior. He won several singles and doubles titles and, in early 2016, became the first Norwegian ever to reach the top of the junior world rankings. He made his professional debut shortly after but never managed to win more than two matches in a row during his first season, finishing it ranked No. 1,126 on the ATP list. In those early days, Casper Ruud was mainly found competing at Challenger events. His first appearance at an ATP tournament came via a wildcard for the 2016 Chengdu Open. From then on, the young Norwegian's career gathered serious momentum.

First Tournament Wins and Major Appearances

At the Australian Open in January 2018, the then 19-year-old Casper Ruud qualified for his first Grand Slam as a professional and made it straight to the second round. In total, he played three of the four Majors that season, missing out only on qualifying for Wimbledon. From 2019 onward, Casper Ruud played almost exclusively on the ATP Tour, and with growing success. Strong results in the first half of the season earned him a spot in the world's top 100, and shortly afterward he reached his first ATP final in Houston. Thanks to his consistent performances, Casper Ruud secured a spot at the NextGen ATP Finals, though he didn't advance past the round-robin stage there.

The affable Norwegian celebrated his first ATP title the following year in Buenos Aires, becoming the first tennis player from his country ever to achieve such a feat. From there, his rise was meteoric. At the 2021 Australian Open, he reached the fourth round, his best result at a Major up to that point. By the end of the year, he had added five more titles to his growing collection, finishing the season ranked No. 8 in the world. That earned him his first-ever qualification for the ATP Finals in Turin, where he even made it to the semifinal before falling to reigning US Open champion Daniil Medvedev.

Finals in Paris and New York: Ruud Achieves Great Things

At the 2022 French Open, Casper Ruud achieved his big breakthrough, reaching his first Grand Slam final. There, though, he had to concede defeat to Rafael Nadal in three sets. He fared better defending his titles in Geneva and Gstaad, however, successfully retaining both. His remarkable run continued at the US Open, where he reached the final and, as a result, climbed to No. 2 in the world rankings in September 2022. He also put in strong performances at the ATP Finals, reaching the final there too, but once again had to bow to a big name — this time Novak Djokovic.

In 2023, Ruud reached another French Open final, but once again lost in three sets to “Nole.” The rest of the season proved disappointing for the Norwegian: he was eliminated in the second round at both Wimbledon and the US Open, which saw him slip back to No. 11 in the world rankings. A bright spot finally came in April 2024: Ruud claimed his first ATP 500 title at the tournament in Barcelona, marking a strong comeback.

Discover Casper Ruud's Rackets, Clothing & Shoes at Tennis-Point

As every experienced tennis player knows, equipment plays a role on court that shouldn't be underestimated. You simply feel better when you can rely completely on your gear. A good racket with proper stringing gives your shots more power and precision. High-quality shoes make it easier to move around the court and protect your feet from injury. And the right tennis clothing keeps your body dry and at a comfortable temperature. Equipped like that, you can focus fully on what's happening on court.

Since Casper Ruud is well aware of all this, he's relied on Yonex since his youth. His entire tennis kit is supplied by the Japanese tennis specialist. You'll of course also find the Yonex rackets and strings, as well as the tennis shoes and clothing that help Casper Ruud play such successful tennis, right here in our online tennis shop — at completely fair prices. Happy browsing!