World no. 12 Casper Ruud will embrace a busy start to the 2026 season. The Norwegian will lead Norway at the United Cup in the opening two weeks of the new campaign before heading to the ASB Classic in Auckland.
The three-time Major finalist will compete in New Zealand for the fourth time, debuting as a qualifier in 2018 and returning in 2020 and 2023. Interestingly, it's an event where success has surprisingly eluded him so far.
Ruud has not been able to unlock Auckland, embracing a 0-3 record and hoping to change that in sevenweeks. For Casper, it has been a blend of tricky conditions, tricky rivals and poor timing at the beginning of the season.
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The Norwegian is eager to change that and perform well at one of the few ATP tournaments where he has yet to find his rhythm. Like hisrivals, Ruud will work hard during the off-season.
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He wrapped up the 2025 campaign as a sparing partner at the ATP Finals, wishing to return in 2026 as a player. To achieve that, Casper will have to make a strong start to the season and collect as many trophies as possible.
In addition to his season-term goals, Ruud will also try to shape his game at the United Cup and Auckland and enter the Australian Open in full swing. The Norwegian fell to Jakub Mensik in the second round in Melbourne last year.
With fewpoints to defend, the former world no. 2 will try to embrace a deep run and gain a boost. But first, he wants to flip the script in Auckland and celebrate for the first time at the ASB Classic.
A week before Melbourne, Casper will seekanother chance to break through, settle unfinished business and finally carve out a solid result at a tournament that has quietly become one of the most puzzling stops in his calendar.
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Next January, he hopes for a different story. Three years ago, Ruud met Laslo Djere in the second round. They played on an indoor court, with the rain plaguing the event.
The Serb prevailed in the deciding tie break, leaving Casper with no wins in Auckland. That could change in less than two months.
