Casper Ruud: Marriage, Daughter, Retirement & Career Facts

Casper Ruud’s personal life has accelerated as fast as his forehand: marriage, fatherhood, and a retirement scare all within two years. Few Norwegian athletes have captured global attention quite like him, and behind the groundstrokes and Grand Slam finals lies a series of personal milestones that have reshaped his life off the court.

Age: 27 (born December 22, 1998) · Height: 6’0″ (183 cm) · Highest ranking: World No. 2 · Turned pro: 2015

Key Facts

Seven datapoints, one pattern: Casper Ruud’s biography is a mix of official ATP records and evolving personal life.

The implication: Ruud’s ranking and family status are the two poles anchoring his public profile.

Is Casper Ruud in a relationship?

Casper Ruud’s marriage to Maria Galligani

• According to People magazine (entertainment news outlet), Ruud married Maria Galligani in Mallorca, Spain, in June 2026 after nearly eight years together.
• The couple had been in a long-term relationship since 2018, according to Wikipedia (user‑edited encyclopedia), and announced their engagement in November 2024.

Timeline of their relationship

• September 2025: The couple announced they were expecting their first child (People magazine (entertainment news outlet)).
• January 30, 2026: Daughter Rafaella was born (ATP Tour (official tour body)).
• June 2026: The couple wed in Mallorca, as reported by People magazine (entertainment news outlet).

The pattern: Ruud’s personal life is now a public record, but gaps remain in the exact sequence of events.

Why did Casper Ruud retire?

Details of the retirement incident

• No verified report of a retirement incident exists. Rumours of an injury‑forced retirement during a 2025 match remain unsubstantiated.
• The precise nature of the injury that sparked the rumour has not been confirmed by any official source.

Career status and ranking

• Ruud’s highest ATP ranking is World No. 2, achieved in September 2022 (Wikipedia (user‑edited encyclopedia)).
• He turned professional in 2015 at age 16 (Wikipedia (user‑edited encyclopedia)).
• Ruud withdrew from the 2026 Dallas Open using the ATP’s new Parental Status exemption, which allows players to avoid ranking penalties and fines within two weeks of a child’s birth (Tennis.com (tennis media outlet)).
• In January 2026, BBC Sport (UK public broadcaster) reported that Ruud would leave the Australian Open early if his wife went into labour – a contingency that ended up being unnecessary as the baby arrived after the tournament.

The catch: The retirement rumour is just that—a rumour. No confirmed incident exists, and Ruud continues to compete at the highest level.

Where does Casper Ruud live?

Casper Ruud’s residence in Oslo

• Ruud is a Norwegian tennis player who resides in Oslo, Norway, according to Wikipedia (user‑edited encyclopedia).
• He has spent significant time training at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, though his primary address remains in Oslo.

Training base at the Rafa Nadal Academy

• The Rafa Nadal Academy has been Ruud’s off‑season hub for years, but no official source lists it as his permanent residence.

The implication: Oslo is home, but Mallorca serves as a second base during the European clay‑court swing.

Does Casper Ruud have any children?

Casper Ruud’s daughter Rafaella

• Ruud and his wife Maria welcomed their first child, a daughter, on January 30, 2026 (ATP Tour (official tour body)).
• The baby’s name was not disclosed in the initial reports, but Heavy (sports news site) later identified her as Rafaella.
• Ruud posted on social media that “Maria and our baby are doing great” (Tennis.com (tennis media outlet)).

The meaning behind the name

• The name Rafaella is widely believed to be a tribute to Rafael Nadal, Ruud’s mentor and friend. No official confirmation exists.

The pattern: Fatherhood is a new reality, but the name’s significance is still a matter of speculation.

How did Casper Ruud meet his wife?

The couple’s early relationship

• Specific details about how Ruud and Maria Galligani met have not been widely publicized (Wikipedia (user‑edited encyclopedia) notes they have been together since 2018 but does not describe the first meeting).
• The couple has been together for several years before marrying, though the exact origin of their relationship remains unclear.

Public appearances together

• Galligani has been seen supporting Ruud at tournaments, including the 2025 Indian Wells and 2026 Australian Open. No formal timeline of their public appearances exists.

What this means: The scarcity of detail suggests the couple values privacy. Fans searching for a romantic backstory will find only fragments.

Timeline signal

Clarity check

Confirmed facts

• Casper Ruud married Maria Galligani (People magazine (entertainment news outlet)).
• He has a daughter named Rafaella, born January 30, 2026 (ATP Tour (official tour body), Heavy (sports news site)).
• His highest ATP ranking is World No. 2 (Wikipedia (user‑edited encyclopedia)).
• He used the ATP Parental Status exemption to withdraw from the 2026 Dallas Open (Tennis.com (tennis media outlet)).

What’s unclear

• Exact wedding date (People reports June 2026, but no official record).
• How Ruud and Galligani first met.
• Nature and severity of the injury that sparked retirement rumours – no source has confirmed the incident.
• Whether Ruud’s residence in Oslo is a permanent home or a seasonal address.
• Whether the Mallorca wedding was a legal ceremony or a celebration.
• Exact details of how the couple met.

“It’s a new chapter for me and my wife,” Ruud said about becoming a father, as reported by ATP Tour (official tour body).

The ATP’s Parental Status exemption “allows a player to avoid late‑withdrawal fines and ranking penalties if withdrawing within a two‑week window around the birth or legal adoption of a child,” according to the ATP rulebook (tennis media outlet).

For Casper Ruud, the convergence of marriage and fatherhood with the demands of a top‑tier tennis career creates a high‑stakes balancing act. The next season will show whether the new parental exemption allows him to maintain his ranking while adjusting to life as a father.

Frequently asked questions