Holger Rune backs the idea of ATP 500 in Scandinavia after his and Casper Ruud's success

Holger Rune and Casper Ruud's recent success, alongside that of other players from their region, has prompted the idea of an ATP 500 event to be held in either of the two players' countries.

World No. 7 Rune from Denmark and World No. 3 Ruud from Norway are both firmly entrenched in the top 10 of the ATP rankings. Apart from these two, Emil Ruusuvuori from Finland and Mikael Ymer from Sweden also currently sit inside the Top 50 in the rankings, at the 40th and 50th spot respectively.

Noticing the success of Scandinavian and Finnish tennis players in recent months, Danish journalist Emilie put forth the idea of an ATP 500 event to be organized in the region.

“4 players from the region (Scandinavia and Finland) are sitting in Top 50 on ATP World ranking,” Emilie wrote on her Instagram story. “I think it’s so cool and we really should have at least one 500 event in Denmark or in Norway.”

Paris Masters champion Holger Rune backed the journalist’s idea by reposting her views on his Instagram story.

Rune on Instagram

Currently, the ATP Tour hosts two 250 level events in Sweden – a clay court tournament in Bastad, where Casper Ruud was the champion in 2021, and an indoor hardcourt event in Stockholm, where Holger Rune is the reigning champion.

---

A brief look at Holger Rune and Casper Ruud's rise over the past year

Casper Ruud and Holger Rune at the 2022 Monte-Carlo Masters

Holger Rune and Casper Ruud have created history for their respective countries over the past year by becoming the highest ranked men’s tennis players from Denmark and Norway respectively.

Ruud made two Grand Slam finals in 2022, at the French Open and the US Open, making him the only Norwegian man to do so. Apart from that, he also finished as the runner-up at the 2022 Miami Open and the year-end ATP Finals. The 24-year-old clinched three titles - in Buenos Aires, Geneva and Gstaad - too, propelling him to a career-high ranking of World No. 2.

Ruud is in fact the only man from his country to lift an ATP title, and he recently added a 10th winner’s trophy to his collection at the 2023 Estoril Open. The Norwegian is currently contesting the Barcelona Open, in pursuit of his 11th title.

Holger Rune’s rise has been even quicker than that of his Norwegian counterpart. Aged just 19, the Dane made the quarterfinals of the French Open last year. He has featured in six ATP finals already, with the most recent being the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters.

Rune has clinched three winner's trophies so far – at the 2022 Bavarian International Tennis Championships, the Stockholm Open and the Paris Masters. At the last of those, he defeated Novak Djokovic in the final.

Owing to his success in the past year, Rune is currently placed at a career-high of World No. 7. The teenager is currently defending his first ATP title, which he earned in Munich last year.