Casper Ruud
Ruud, new father, returns ‘to win matches and see if I can play for more than myself’
Former World No. 2 competes for the first time since he and his fiancée Maria welcomed their daughter
February 18, 2026
Martin Keep / Getty Images
Casper Ruud reached the fourth round at the Australian Open last month.
By Jerome Coombe
Casper Ruud won’t have to look far for extra motivation as he begins his debut campaign at the Delray Beach Open this week.
Just weeks after he and his fiancée Maria welcomed the birth of their first child, a daughter, the Norwegian arrives in Florida carrying more than racquets and expectations. He brings with him the life-altering joy of new fatherhood and, ahead of his opening match against Marcos Giron at the ATP 250 hard-court event, Ruud reflected to the media on the emotional whirlwind that has reshaped his world.
“It was an incredibly emotional moment,” Ruud said. “I think for anyone who has become a parent, it’s an incredible feeling and hard to explain with words.
“I’m excited for the future. This is just the beginning of 20 to 25 years of taking care of her. It’s fun and exciting, I will try to use it as motivation and try to remember that you’ve travelled this far and being away from her, you might as well try your best and play some good tennis while you’re at it.”
Ruud had already gathered momentum this season by reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open before he returned home to Norway, where he announced his daughter’s arrival at the end of January. Now, the challenge shifts from balancing backhands to balancing life on Tour with life as a new father.
The early-season hard-court swing will test that balance. Delray Beach marks the first stop in a stretch that also includes the ATP 500 in Acapulco and ATP Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami.
For Ruud, the former No. 2 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, the miles may feel longer than before.
“It will be a tough trip, because it won’t be that easy for them to come over here and I will miss them and at times feel homesick,” Ruud said. “I’ll do my best and see if I can end the hard-court swing, for a while, on a good note before we head back to Europe and start the clay season.
“That will be the goal for these couple of weeks and months coming up, [starting] here, then Acapulco, Indian Wells and Miami: To win some matches and see if I can play for more than myself.”
Ruud begins that run in a strong Delray Beach field that features two-time champion Taylor Fritz and reigning Next Gen ATP Finals titlist Learner Tien.
First up for the second-seeded Ruud is Giron on Wednesday, with their Lexus ATP Head2Head series locked at 2-2. While much has changed in his personal life, he is confident his tennis foundations remain intact.
“My forehand still feels pretty similar to before, and my backhand as well,” Ruud joked. “I haven’t got an overuse of my arm yet. I haven’t carried her too much yet!”
