The Casper Ruud effect: Building on Norway's 'summer sport' explosion

PARIS—At the Tokyo Olympics, Norway brought home four gold medals. In athletics, Karsten Warholm won a thrilling men’s 400-meter hurdles final and Jakob Ingebrigtsen topped the men’s 1500-meter podium. Kristian Blummenfelt emerged victorious in the men’s individual triathlon, while in men’s beach volleyball, Anders Mol and Christian Sorum joined forces to become champions.

Casper Ruud was not present at the 2021-staged Games, though long had designs on representing his nation at the next edition. Three years later, Ruud now stands among the same phenomenal class of athletes putting Norway on maps away from their nation’s rich winter sports heritage.

“It's motivating. Seeing that other athletes are also doing well, we can inspire each other. Tennis, golf, football, track and field, athletics, you name it. It's suddenly a little bit out of nowhere,” Ruud shares during a catch-up in Paris. “It's blooming with all these sports and athletes doing well. It's fun to be part of that group.

“I think the ultimate goal, or hope, is that we can also inspire kids back home, to believe that you don't have to be from America, or Spain, or a big country, to be able to do well.”

The 25-year-old is well underway with bringing that ambition to life. Among the ATP’s elite as a Top 10 mainstay, there’s no mistaking the "Casper Ruud effect" back home. Over the past five years, the Norges Tennisforbund (Norwegian Tennis Association) has experienced a 40% increase in new members according to Aslak Paulsen, secretary general of the federation. Momentum began with the conditions presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, but Ruud’s breakout career that so far includes three major finals and career-high No. 2 ranking has been a driving force all its own.

“Casper has done magic for us, both with member growth and Norwegians getting more confident that we can achieve something,” says Paulsen. “I think it’s important both with people working within tennis and those looking at us from the outside. We see more companies that are interested in tennis.”

Ruud’s impact goes beyond the results he’s produced on court. The 12-time ATP title holder hasn’t followed in the footsteps of colleagues opting to set up shop in places like Monte Carlo or Dubai or Spain. He’s chosen to keep his training base in Norway, tapping into local facilities and resources with dad Christian leading the charge. In turn, impressionable generations have benefited from a front-row seat to the reality that a dream as big as professional tennis is pursuable on their own doorstep.

“Tennis and sports in general are growing and going in the right direction in Norway,” feels Ruud. “The primary school is just next to the club. Kids come down to watch and they seem to be very excited. And I tell them that they can be in the same situation, if they work hard. I myself was just like them.”

I think the ultimate goal, or hope, is that we can also inspire kids back home, to believe that you don't have to be from America, or Spain, or a big country, to be able to do well. —Casper Ruud

Work ethic is a quality that has never been in question with the Oslo native. Practices are approached with full commitment. There are no skip days. Tanking isn’t in his vocabulary and every small detail matters. In translating this mindset to nearly 250 tour-level wins, Paulsen believes it was only a matter of time for promising talents like Wimbledon boys’ champion and newly-minted junior world No. 1 Nicolai Budkov Kjaer to be emboldened by Ruud’s example.

“Casper has created a belief among players that it's possible to go all the way. Ten years ago, we were quite happy with winning grade four or grade three tournaments in Norway. Now we have somebody winning Wimbledon juniors. It's just crazy,” he says. “The mental part of being in a culture which have had some kind of success affects so many people here. I can see it in the administration, with the coaches, that they wonder, ‘Why can't we do it?’”

While success stories will only continue to be written, the country is playing catchup with mounting demand. By Paulsen’s estimation, Norway has just over 200 indoor courts to go with a little more than the 500 available outdoors. In simple terms, tennis isn’t accessible 365 days a year to everyone who wants it, a circumstance Ruud hopes is addressed while the sport has the attention of the masses.

“There's a lack of tennis courts in Oslo, and in Norway, in general," he says. "[It's] not easy for every kid to have the opportunity to play, which I think should be something that Norway would have the possibility to do. A long way to go but it's out of my control. It's up to politicians, whoever's running the country, to kind of invest in building new facilities.”

Adds Paulsen, “I hope that the authorities are waking up and see there's tennis is something. Norway has always been a winter sport country, but we see summer sports are really growing and doing better results.”

Ruud will soon have the chance to make another compelling statement with his racquet, at a place that by now feels like a home away from home. Back in Paris, he’ll have plenty of encouraging memories to draw from in his quest to land on the podium. Over his past three trips to Roland Garros, host venue of the Olympics tennis competition, Ruud has compiled 17 victories. A player needs to run off four wins to reach the medal rounds and five to guarantee nothing less than silver.

“I'm always playing for my country, but the Olympics is a little extra special. It’s the first time for me and on the surface that I prefer the most. So there's a lot of things that are positive for me and my game,” says Ruud. “That being said, it's not going to be easy to get a medal at all. You have so many great players. I'm going to give it my all.”

Would bringing home a medal, especially gold, help the infrastructure movement? Perhaps, says Aslak, but regardless of Ruud’s final result, it’s his compatriot’s influence as a person—and sportsman—that is leaving the lasting mark.

The Casper Ruud effect.

“You don't have to be an asshole to become a great player. I think that is something that Casper is easy to model after,” he declares. “People have different personalities, and maybe Casper is more like the classic Norwegian type—doesn't try to take that much space. But he shows it on court and he cares about more than just the tennis.

“I'm grateful for having a player like him from Norway. So grateful.”