With his victory over Casper Ruud at the ATP Finals, Novak Djokovic closed the year on a high note and matched longtime rival Roger Federer’s record of six titles. The world No. 8 will move up three spots in the rankings after remaining unbeaten for the entire week, collecting a record £4,230,030 ($4,740,300) in prize money and 1,500 ranking points.

For the last match of the ATP season, Djokovic and Ruud entered the court with the ATP Finals title, up to 1,500 ranking points, and a milestone prize money check on the line. The 23-year-old was going for his biggest career trophy and his first victory over Djokovic while the Serb was going for history by trying to tie Roger Federer’s record of six titles at the year-end championships.

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Who is Casper Ruud?

Casper Ruud, born on December 22, 1998, is a Norwegian professional tennis player. Ruud is the highest-ranked tennis player from Norway in history according to his career-high singles rating of No. 5, attained on June 13, 2022. Eight of his nine ATP Tour singles victories have come on clay surfaces.

As of the 2022 French Open, Ruud is the first Norwegian man to have won an ATP singles championship, advanced to a major final, advanced to a Masters 1000 final, and reached the top 10 of the ATP rankings. He has a career-high world No. 133 ranking in doubles, which he attained after making it to the 2021 Wimbledon Championships quarterfinals.

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He is the son of former professional tennis player Christian Ruud and has two sisters. Rafael Nadal was his tennis hero as a young child growing up in Baerum’s Snaroya neighbourhood.

In 2015, he joined the Norwegian Davis Cup team, and he with his fellow countryman Viktor Durasovic moved Norway up to Group Two Europe/Africa Zone from Group Three Europe Zone.

Ruud and Durasovic were defeated 3-2 by Lithuania in the opening round of the 2016 Davis Cup. They defeated Luxembourg 3-2 in the playoffs to maintain their place in Group Two’s Europe/Africa Zone.

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Because of modifications to the Davis Cup system, Norway remained in Group Two Europe/Africa Zone in 2017 and 2018 until defeating Georgia in their 2019 tie to earn a spot in the Davis Cup playoff for World Group I. They prevailed over Barbados in the playoff, earning a spot in World Group I.