Casper Ruud will be joined by David Ferrer on the ATP Tour next year.
“Good news travels fast! David Ferrer will be joining the team next year, and needless to say, we’re all really excited about what’s ahead!” said Ruud on Instagram after losing to Carlos Alcaraz at the Paris Masters.
Failing to qualify for the ATP Finals, Ruud is in Sweden this week for the Stockholm Open. But what is he planning to achieve in 2027 with Ferrer by his side? Ruud shared his goals for the new year during a recent interview with ‘Bolavip‘.
Casper Ruud wants to qualify for the ATP Finals next year and still has Grand Slam ambitions
“I am hoping that I can get back into the top ten very quickly and, not least, reach the ATP Finals in Turin next year, which is a big goal. I have been playing there already a few times, and for many players it is one of their biggest goals of the season,” said Ruud.
Ruud qualified for the ATP Finals in 2021, 2022, and 2024, reaching two semi-finals and a final. The Norwegian failed to qualify this season, though, and currently sits 18th in the world rankings.
Official ATP Rankings
- 16. Jakub Mensik – 2,500 points
- 17. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina – 2,500 points
- 18. Casper Ruud – 2,435 points
- 19. Brandon Nakashima – 2,360 points
- 20. Francisco Cerundolo – 2,220 points
He trails world number 10 Taylor Fritz by 850 ranking points. That’s not a small gap, but one that Ruud will be confident of closing down if he can improve his level next year.
Ruud hasn’t been anywhere close to his best in 2026 and is at risk of failing to win a title for the first time since 2019. He’s been especially poor at the Grand Slam level, losing in the fourth round of the Australian Open and the French Open before losing his opener at Wimbledon and skipping the US Open.
Casper Ruud’s Grand Slam record
| Grand Slam | Best performance | 2026 performance | Win/Loss record | Win % |
| Australian Open | Fourth round – 2021, 2026 | Fourth round | 11-7 | 61% |
| French Open | Final – 2022, 2023 | Fourth round | 27-9 | 75% |
| Wimbledon | Second round – 2022, 2023, 2024 | First round | 3-6 | 33% |
| US Open | Final – 2022 | – | 14-8 | 64% |
With that being said, Ruud hasn’t given up on his Grand Slam dream. With Ferrer in his corner, the 27-year-old still believes he could one day win a major title.
“I hope and believe that David [Ferrer] can get the best out of me as a player in the coming years, and I also have to say that the opportunity of winning Grand Slams is still there,” said Ruud.
Give us one bold prediction for the final months of the 2026 tennis season!
“I want to give it an honest try for the next 5, 6, 7 years. I want to see if I can win a Grand Slam, even though it would be a bit later than what it normally would be for a tennis player.”
Germany’s Alexander Zverev won his first two Grand Slam titles this year, aged 29. Will Ruud follow in his footsteps next season? Only time will tell…
Casper Ruud has one last chance to maintain six-year streak
Ruud last failed to win an ATP title in a full calendar year back in 2019. He won a title in 2020, five in 2021, three in 2022, one in 2023, and two in 2024 and 2025, but things just haven’t gone to plan for Ruud in 2026.
He reached one final, at the Italian Open, but fell short against the home favourite Jannik Sinner in straight sets, 4-6, 4-6 in Rome.
Casper Ruud’s ATP titles by year
| Year | ATP Title wins | ATP Titles |
| 2026 | 0 | – |
| 2025 | 2 | Madrid Open, Stockholm Open |
| 2024 | 2 | Barcelona Open, Geneva Open |
| 2023 | 1 | Estoril Open |
| 2022 | 3 | Argentina Open, Geneva Open, Swiss Open |
| 2021 | 5 | Geneva Open, Swedish Open, Swiss Open, Austrian Open, San Diego Open |
| 2020 | 1 | Argentina Open |
| 2019 | 0 | – |
| 2018 | 0 | – |
| 2017 | 0 | – |
| 2016 | 0 | – |
Luckily for Ruud, he has one more chance to lift a trophy at the Stockholm Open, an event he won last year. Competing as the second seed, Ruud is one of the favourites for the title, but who will he need to beat?
Receiving a bye into the second round, Ruud will play Kazakhstan’s Alexander Shevchenko on Wednesday, November 11. If he avoids the upset against the qualifier, he will meet Argentina’s Thiago Agustin Tirante in the quarter-finals.
Looking ahead, he could play Alex Michelsen, Lorenzo Sonego, or Alejandro Tabilo in the semis, and then Fritz, Cameron Norrie, Miomir Kecmanovic, Holger Rune, Lorenzo Musetti, Borna Gojo, or Ugo Humbert in the final.
The 2026 Stockholm Open final will take place on Saturday, November 14. Ruud will then begin his off-season, during which he will train alongside Ferrer.
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