Casper Ruud swears off gambling in favor of home décor in Australian Open return

The Happy Slam hasn’t been a barrel of laughs for Casper Ruud since making the fourth round in 2021, prompting the former world No. 2 to take a more zen-like approach to Melbourne this season.

That means no more trips to the Crown Towers. 🃏

“I try not to get dragged into the casino every night. That’s been helping,” Ruud joked after defeating Albert Ramos-Viñolas on Tuesday. “Yeah, it's tempting when you pass by every night, but I haven't gambled too much this time, so I guess that's helping.”

No stranger to a blackjack table, Ruud is instead focused on quieter pursuits in the hopes of improving from his second-round exit from the Australian Open last year. Asked on court if he planned to take in a round of golf after the straight-set win over Ramos-Viñolas, Ruud revealed he had an interior design call for his new home.

“I got a new place last year and I have to do some renovating,” he explained in his post-match press conference. “The only fitting time was tonight at 10PM, so there's going to be a Zoom call that I have to get on to decide a few different materials and so on.

“But it's actually something I enjoy. My mother is an interior designer, as well, so ever since I was young I was quite into it. I've done a few projects in the past back home in Norway. This is for my own personal use.

“I like to try to stay in the zone in the Grand Slam, but just, you know, a 30-minute call in one evening shouldn't be a problem. I'm looking forward to it. It's small things that we do outside the tennis court that can be, in a way, helping when you're playing.”

The 25-year-old made a few more substantive changes heading into 2024, eschewing the busy exhibition schedule that left him fatigued well into 2023 and adding a new physiotherapist, Alex Strober, to his team.

“I feel physically better than I have done in a long time now,” he said. “I was lifting too many heavy weights last year between the seasons, tried to build too much muscle. I did somewhat of a preseason kind of training after Australia before I started playing in Acapulco, so I had, like, four weeks there.

“I feel smoother around the court, moving better, and I also feel like that helps me play well.”

Up against Aussie favorite Max Purcell in the next round, can Ruud pull a proverbial “21” and make it back to the second week?