Casper Ruud withdraws from Davis Cup to 'spend time with his wife and newborn daughter'
NewsWednesday, 04 February 2026 at 16:10
Casper Ruud will not be able to help Norway in their upcoming Davis Cup tie against Great Britain, prioritizing more important things in life.
Ruud is the most successful tennis player to ever come out of Norway, which is why his country often depends on him in the Davis Cup. On February 5th and 6th, Norway will be hosting a qualifiers tie against Great Britain, which will be played at the Nadderud Arena in Oslo, Norway.
Great Britain will come with two former ATP Top 10 players, Jack Draper and Cameron Norrie, as well as the No. 1 doubles team, Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool. That will make it very challenging for Norway to succeed, and even more difficult without the country's No. 1 player, Ruud.
But the reason is not an injury or other health problem. Already during the Australian Open, Ruud spoke about his wife's pregnancy. His wife, Maria Galligani, was expected to give birth to their daughter sometime around the Australian Open, which is why Ruud said that if he got a call from her, he would withdraw from the event and fly home.
"If I get the call, if she goes into labour I'll jump on the first flight home for sure. I have to thank Maria for letting me go in the first place. I know she's at home resting, getting ready. Except for when I'm playing a match, the ringer (phone) is on all hours of the day, just in case. 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."
Luckily for Ruud, everything went well, and he made it home in time for his wife's labour after exiting the Australian Open. They welcomed their daughter on January 30th, 2026, only a week before Norway's tie against Great Britain.
Ruud was supposed to lead his country, but understandably, the Norwegian player announced that he would be skipping this qualifier's tie, staying home with his family instead.
"Casper Ruud will unfortunately not be part of the Norwegian squad. He has prioritized spending time with his wife and his newborn daughter."
Ruud's withdrawal will significantly impact Norway's chances against Great Britain. Viktor Durasovic is scheduled to play the first match of the tie against Jack Draper, with talented Nicolai Budkov Kjaer playing against Cameron Norrie in the second match. They will swap opponents on Day 2.
Durasovic and Lukas Hellum Lilleengen are nominated for the doubles match against Cash and Glasspool, but all nominations are subject to last-minute changes, based on how the tie develops. As for Ruud, he will probably watch the tie from his sofa at home, spending time with his wife and daughter.
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