WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New world number
two
Casper Ruud announced Tuesday he will start his 2023 season at the Auckland
Classic when the ATP Tour event returns in January after a three-year hiatus
because of COVID.
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The 23-year-old Norwegian rose to a career-high
second in the world despite losing Sunday’s US Open final to Spain’s Carlos
Alcaraz.
It was Ruud’s second Grand Slam final defeat of 2022
after falling to Rafael Nadal at the French Open in June.
Ruud, a winner at ATP tournaments in Gstaad, Geneva
and Buenos Aires this year, will headline the Auckland men’s tournament beginning
January 9 as he warms up for the first Grand Slam of the year at the Australian
Open in Melbourne starting a week later.
“New Zealand is a very beautiful country. The
conditions are very similar to Melbourne so it is a nice tournament to play,”
he said.
Ruud went out in the round of 32 when the Auckland
Classic was last played in 2020, but has since become the first Norwegian to
break into the top 10 and would have become world number one had he beaten
Alcaraz in Sunday’s US Open final.
Tournament director Nicolas Lamperin said it was a
“coup” to sign up Ruud, who is “one of the most improved players on the circuit
over the last 18 months”.
American world number eight Coco Gauff last month announced
she will feature in the women’s Auckland Classic when the WTA Tour event begins
on January 2.
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