Casper Ruud has begun his title defense at the Madrid Open as the 12th seed and has advanced to the round of 32 to clash against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. The Norwegian star secured victory in the round of 64 against Jaume Munar after a bye in the first round.
12 months ago, Ruud achieved a highly sought-after milestone in his career, winning his first Masters 1000 title at the Madrid Open. After failing to win the title clash in Miami (2022) and Monte-Carlo (2024), the Norwegian finally overcame the last hurdle in the Spanish capital, beating Jack Draper.
This year’s campaign is even more special. He is defending a title for the first time as a father. Ruud welcomed his first daughter on January 30, 2026, with his partner, Maria Galligani.
Casper Ruud Chasing His First Title As a Father at Madrid Open
After retiring mid-match in the Round of 16 at the Monte-Carlo Masters, Ruud entered the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Madrid. The event, which is taking place at La Caja Mágica, i.e., the Manzanares Park Tennis Center, features top stars, including top seed Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, and Felix Auger-Aliassime, among others.
The Oslo native, who received direct entry into the second round, secured his opening win against Munar with a commanding 6-0, 6-1 score. Ruud now boasts a staggering 7-1 advantage in their head-to-head.
His daughter, whom the couple has named “Camilla,” is reportedly at the tournament as he continues his title defense.
After becoming a father for the first time, Ruud reflected his heartfelt thoughts, adding, “It’s really exciting. It’s something we’ve been looking forward to now for half a year, so time is running, and it’s going to be a new chapter for us. [It will be] a new way of life on Tour and I very much look forward to it, knowing how close I’ve been with my own family and my father and also my mother.”
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He continued highlighting the significance of the parental role with handling his professional career, sharing, “I look forward to hopefully becoming a good parent myself. Even though this life requires a lot of time, a lot of energy, and a lot of travel and these things, I look forward to trying to be there as much as I can, and when I have downtime – time off from the court – I will spend it where I want to go with my future daughter.”
Ruud, who has been dating Galligani since 2018, announced the couple’s engagement in 2024. It has also been reported that the couple married privately at the end of last year. The latter attended the University of Southern Denmark, graduating with a master’s degree in psychology, and has also worked for a sports nutrition company.
