"I felt emotional, grateful, lucky, and happy all at the same time" - An emotional Ruud marries long term partner, Maria, in wonderful wedding ceremony

Casper Ruud takes a break from competing on court as he marries Maria Galligani after nearly eight years of dating. The pair have a daughter together and officially tied the knot recently.

Ruud picked out this time in the year to marry the love of his life with his hatred for grass well known in the tennis world. Putting down his racket for the time being, he enjoys a brilliant day out with friends, family and most importantly his new wife.

The pair met back in March 2018 when Ruud was introduced to Galligani by a good friend of his. “We stayed in touch, and our first date took place a few months later on a tennis court when I was home between Wimbledon and my next tournament,” Ruud told Vogue. “Maria arrived at our local tennis club—where she had also played as a child—wearing a white Stella McCartney tennis dress, and the rest is history.”

Their relationship blossomed from then before a trip to the Maldives would change their lives forever. “When we returned to the little beach bungalow where we were staying, we played a game of backgammon, which Casper won—as usual,” Galligani recalled.

“I was tired of losing and went down to the water to watch the sunset. After a while, Casper joined me, gave me a hug, and said he had something that he thought would cheer me up. It could not have been a more perfect setting: a sunset on the beach, salt water in our hair, and sun-kissed skin."

The chosen place to get married was also in the sun, but this time still in Europe in Mallorca. There was thinking behind the location. “We have returned many times since, both for work and for holidays,” she continued.

The celebrations lasted from June 11-14 with a whole variety of activities going on for everyone to enjoy. “We wanted a wedding full of life and love, where our guests could gain insight into—and share—the love we have for each other."

No guest was more special or cherished than their daughter. It was a hectic time for Ruud who was competing Down Under at the Australian Open. Every match could have been his last with the birth of his first child taking priority. He would lose in the last-16 and immediately made the trip back to Norway.

“Even before getting engaged, we had already started dreaming about starting a family, so we tried to time things in a way that would allow us to have the child we dreamed of included in the ceremony,” they commented. “She was born on January 30, 2026, making her both the youngest and the most important guest at our wedding.”

When the big day came, it was a really emotional one for everyone involved. “I was quite nervous before walking out," Ruud said. "When I saw Maria walking toward me with her father, it was difficult to hold back my tears. I felt emotional, grateful, lucky, and happy all at the same time.

“After we had both said ‘I do,’ the atmosphere became playful and celebratory, and we walked back down the aisle to ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’ by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.”

Overall, it was a truly special and remarkable day which both pictured as both envisioned. “We are, of course, incredibly happy. It truly felt like the best weekend of our lives, and we were able to celebrate it with all of our closest family members and dearest friends. It became everything we could have dreamed of.”

Ruud has started to show signs of improvement in 2026. He was under pressure to defend the points collected at the 2025 Madrid Open following his maiden Masters 1000 title in a cracking final against Jack Draper.

He reached the quarter-final before being stunned by Alexander Blockx. Falling outside of the top 20, he soon climbed back into it following a run to the final of the Rome Open. He would fall short the inevitable winning machine Jannik Sinner but it was a step in the right direction heading to Roland Garros.

The two-time finalist looked to add to his tally of triumphs at the Geneva Open but failed to make it past the semi-final stage. He would come through a couple of tense battles in Paris before a scintillating Joao Fonseca took him down for a second consecutive Grand Slam last-16 exit.

He will stay clear of the grass, set to compete at Wimbledon before some more clay tournaments following the culmination of the grass swing may catch his eye. He will then look towards the North American hardcourt swing ended with the US Open. All of this with the fact that he has a family in the back of his mind, motivating and pushing him on as he attempts to find that old spark.