Melbourne, Australia
News Desk | Sports
MELBOURNE, Australia — Norwegian tennis star Casper Ruud secured a spot in the third round of the 2026 Australian Open on Thursday, defeating Spain’s Jaume Munar 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 at Melbourne Park to continue his bid for one of the sport’s premier Grand Slam titles. Ruud’s victory, achieved without dropping a set, comes as he aims to match his best Australian Open performance from 2021, when he reached the fourth round, officials and match reports stated.
Casper Ruud, seeded 12th at this year’s tournament, produced a disciplined performance on the hard courts, breaking Munar’s serve at key moments and maintaining consistent pressure from the baseline. It marked his second straight win in Melbourne after a commanding first-round victory over Mattia Bellucci.
The 27-year-old Norwegian will face veteran Marin Cilic in Saturday’s third-round showdown, where live scoring indicated Ruud leading in the early stages of their hard-court contest. Ruud holds a 4–0 career head-to-head advantage over the Croatian, including their only previous Grand Slam meeting.
Casper Ruud run in Melbourne is taking place amid personal milestones off court: earlier in the tournament, he confirmed he is balancing competition with anticipation of becoming a father, telling reporters he is ready to prioritize family should his pregnant wife go into labor.
Since turning professional in 2015, Ruud has established himself among tennis’s leading players, reaching three Grand Slam finals and capturing multiple ATP Tour titles, including a historic 2025 Madrid Open Masters 1000 crown.
With the tournament’s second week approaching, Ruud’s third-round match against Cilic represents a key step toward deeper contention at a major where he has historically struggled to advance beyond the second week. The story is developing.
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