Stockholm
Ruud’s serving overshadows worrying start in Stockholm opener
Second seed downs Cilic, sets Korda QF at indoor hard-court ATP 250
October 15, 2025
Peter Hansson
Casper Ruud improves to 14-3 in opening-round matches in 2025.
By Jerome Coombe
Casper Ruud recovered quickly from a shaky start on Wednesday, producing a polished serving display to secure victory on his return to the BNP Paribas Nordic Open in Stockholm.
The second seed opened his campaign at the indoor hard-court ATP 250 with a 7-6(2), 6-4 win against the big-hitting Marin Cilic. After falling behind 1-4 in the opening set, Ruud found his rhythm with commanding serves and trademark movement to improve his season record in opening rounds to 14-3.
Striking hot in Stockholm 🔥@bnppnordicopen | #bnppnordicopen | @CasperRuud98 pic.twitter.com/iEs9Su9W1q
— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 15, 2025
“It was a good match, I’m very happy,” said Ruud, who improved to 4-0 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Cilic. “Marin is a great player, very aggressive. He got a better start than me, so I just tried to get my form and rhythm back into the match. I’m really happy with the win.”
Despite his early deficit, Ruud soon took control from the baseline, combining precise groundstrokes with dominant serving to turn the match around. He held serve to love in four straight games in the first set and won all 12 first-serve points in the second, according to Infosys ATP Stats.
Ruud’s one-hour, 50-minute triumph provided a boost to his bid to reach the Nitto ATP Finals for the fourth time. The 2022 runner-up at the season finale is 11th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. In the quarter-finals, he will face Sebastian Korda.
Korda earlier overcame Kamil Majchrzak 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 in a thrilling two-hour, 33-minute contest. The American dropped just four of 28 points on serve, according to Infosys ATP Stats, in the final set to earn his 100th hard-court win, becoming the fifth player born in the 2000s to do so.
In first-round action on Wednesday, Lorenzo Sonego kickstarted his quest for a second indoor title by defeating British qualifier Arthur Fery 6-4, 6-2. Sonego set a second-round meeting with Aleksandar Kovecevic, who led eighth seed Camilo Ugo Carabelli 4-6, 7-5, 4-0 when the Argentine was forced to retire through injury.
Marton Fucsovics eased past Jesper de Jong 6-1, 6-2 to book a clash with top seed and 2022 Stockholm champion Holger Rune.
