Vogue Scandinavia alum Casper Ruud was the big winner in Stockholm this weekend, becoming the first Norwegian to win the BNP Paribas Nordic Open. We catch up with Ruud moments after his win
In true Norwegian fashion, the first thing Casper Ruud did after winning the 2025 BNP Paribas Nordic Open in straight sets was apologise to his opponent, French player Ugo Humbert. “Sorry about today,” he says. “I think I played the best match of my year against you.” His remarks were met by chuckles from the crowd at Stockholm’s Kungliga Tennishallen, which included Prince Daniel and his daughter Princess Estelle.
When I meet Ruud after the match in the bowels of the historic stadium, he tells me that it was an especially poignant win. “It’s been a childhood dream for me to win in Båstad and here in Stockholm,” says Ruud, who claimed the Nordea Open title in 2021. “So now I’ve been able to conquer both titles here in Sweden – that’s an honour for me being from Norway, a neighbour country.” The first Norwegian to claim the win here in Stockholm (last year’s winner was American Tommy Paul), Ruud joins the ranks of Swedish winners Björn Borg, Stefan Edberg and Dane Holger Rune (who unfortunately had to retire in this year’s semi-finals due to an achilles injury).
Related: Ruud awakening: 5 things you didn’t know about Casper Ruud
This year’s Nordic Open title win came with a little something extra; in addition to the Swedish Royal Trophy (“It was really heavy – surprisingly heavy,” says Ruud, who had just raised the massive silver object over his head), the Norwegian received a little extra bling by way of a silver championship ring, designed by Swedish jewellery brand Cornelia Webb. “I’m maybe not a ring person, but this is quite special,” says Ruud, showing me the ring, which is set with a square black stone. “It’s made of the same material of the trophy, so it’s like carrying a bit of the trophy with you.”
Ruud notes that the ring feels like an apt prize for a Swedish tournament. “A lord in Sweden would wear a ring, so it’s quite historic,” he says. “In Norway we don’t have any lords – we were famers and fishermen. But in Sweden, they had lords and landowners and they would wear rings.” It’s high time, meanwhile, for Ruud to become a “ring person”; last November he announced his engagement to girlfriend Maria Galligani so presumably there’s a wedding ring on the horizon (no news on the wedding date, however the couple revealed they’re expecting a baby girl sometime next year).
Related: Casper Ruud announces engagement to Maria Galligani: “Can’t wait to marry you”
Shortly before stepping onto the court for the finals, Ruud was blasting his current pump-up playlist. “Pre-match playlist right now is mostly The Weeknd,” he says. “I’m a big fan and I’ve seen him a bunch of times, but I saw him this summer in Toronto, where he’s from, so it was really cool to watch him there. I have some clips and videos from the concert that I listen to, because I think it’s really cool to listen to concert music before you go on court. I mean, I don’t consider myself a performer, but at the same time, there’s something similar. You go out on a kind of stage, and you do your job the best you can.”
Though Ruud didn’t have much time to explore Stockholm throughout the week, his Norwegian supporters certainly did, particularly the Saturday evening before the finals. “I had some buddies of mine fly over and they were out partying all night and all morning, so they know about the Swedish lifestyle,” he says. “It’s fun when it’s so close to have family and friends come over to support.” In addition to living vicariously through his friends, Ruud got to experience a cornerstone of Swedish culture in the stadium. “They have meatballs here every day,” he says. “So I had meatballs for dinner every day after my matches.”
Related: The 7 best films about tennis to watch now
The BNP Paribas Nordic Open (formerly the Stockholm Open) has taken place in Kunlinga Tennishallen since 1969, but this year’s tournament boasted a notable vibe shift. For the quarterfinals on Friday evening, the stands were dotted with fashion editors, actors and other recognisable faces (among them, Alexander Abdallah and author Jens Lapidus), many of whom mingled in the lounge of sparkling wine brand Pongrácz Brut between sets. Beloved Swedish restaurant Sturehof served as the official food and drink provider and, for the first time, the tournament got its own signature drinks (the Paloma-adjacent Royal Deuce was especially tasty). All of this is to say that the Nordic Open – like many other tournaments – is making moves to appeal to a culture crowd beyond tennis fans.
Ruud, meanwhile, is looking forward to celebrating his win with his Norwegian gang. “I’ll probably have a good dinner,” he says. “But I don’t think I’ll have Swedish meatballs tonight.”
