Casper Ruud keeps his phone on as fatherhood nears
After a straightforward 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 win over Mattia Bellucci on Day 2 of the Australian Open, Casper Ruud took a moment to speak about his personal life and why his phone hasn’t left his side in Melbourne.
The No. 12 seed revealed that his wife, Maria Galligani, is expecting their first child, a daughter, toward the latter stages of the tournament. With the due date approaching, Ruud said he’s grateful she encouraged him to compete in Australia at all.
“It’s an interesting situation,” Ruud said during his on-court interview. “I have to thank Maria for letting me go in the first place. “I know she’s back home resting, getting ready. Except for when I’m playing a match, the ringer is on all hours of the day, just in case.”
Ruud and Galligani, who formally married in December and plan to celebrate with a larger wedding later this year, announced the pregnancy in 2025. Now competing in his seventh Australian Open, Ruud knows his stay in Melbourne could be cut short at any moment.
“If she calls, if she goes into labor, I probably won’t be here the next day,” he said. “That’s the way it goes. 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.”
Ruud began the 2026 season with a win over Alex de Minaur at the United Cup, but Melbourne has been a tougher stop for him recently, with second-round exits for the past two years.
His best Australian Open was in 2021, when he reached the fourth round. Ruud will face Jaume Munar next, whom he defeated in five sets at last year’s Australian Open.
