Casper Ruud endured a frustrating 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 defeat against Ben Shelton in the fourth round of the Australian Open on Monday night, but the silver lining of the three-time grand slam finalist’s loss is that he will finally be able to return home.
Ruud, the 12th seed, has had one eye on events back home during his time in Melbourne owing to the fact that his wife, Maria, is pregnant with their first child and is due to give birth this weekend. Ruud had stated repeatedly that he would withdraw and immediately begin the long journey home to Norway if she went into labour during the tournament.
Ruud said last week: “She’s due later in the tournament, so we’ll see. It’s not until the final weekend of the tournament, the due date. It’s not a guarantee that you’ll make it there but you never know, she can come earlier. If I get the call, if she goes into labour I’ll jump on the first flight home for sure.”
Although Ruud was solid in the first three rounds and his opening set against Shelton, the seventh seed, he was completely outplayed by the American in the final three sets. Once Shelton’s devastating serve kicked into gear, the 23-year-old played with freedom, winning 29 of his 30 net points in the match and returning uncharacteristically well.
The first nine days in Melbourne have been marked by the top players establishing a historic hegemony as each of the top six seeds in the men’s and women’s draws reached the quarter-finals for the first time in the Open era.
The early rounds have been some of the most uneventful in recent memory at the tournament, with nearly all of the main title contenders advancing through the early rounds with minimal problems.
The victors on Monday were led by Jannik Sinner, the two-time defending champion, who comfortably navigated his first meeting with his Italian compatriot Luciano Darderi, the 22nd seed, returning to the last eight with a 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (2) win.
Sinner’s full-body cramps in the heat during his third‑round recovery against Eliot Spizzirri had been one of the few real moments of jeopardy for the top title contenders on either tour during the first week, but in warmer conditions in the late afternoon Sinner was dominant.
Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, did not even take to the court. On Sunday night, his highly anticipated encounter with the 20-year-old Jakub Mensik was scuppered after the Czech was forced to withdraw. Mensik, one of the most talented young players on the tour and the 16th seed, had defeated Djokovic, his idol, to win the Miami Open last year.
Iga Swiatek did drop one set earlier in the tournament, but after being forced to a third set in her third‑round match against the 31st seed, Anna Kalinskaya, she responded to Kalinskaya’s 6-1 set with a 6-1 demolition of her own. She had no such problems on Monday, rolling through in defeating the Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis 6-0, 6-3.
The straightforward wins for the top players mean the quarter‑finals are stacked heavily with talent, particularly the women’s draw. Swiatek will rekindle her fierce rivalry with the fifth seed, Elena Rybakina, in the quarter-finals, one of the premier rivalries of women’s tennis. Amanda Anisimova, the fourth seed, will play her American compatriot Jessica Pegula. In the top half, the two-time champion Aryna Sabalenka takes on the 18-year-old American Iva Jovic and Coco Gauff will face the veteran 12th seed, Elina Svitolina.
In the men’s draw, Carlos Alcaraz and Sinner remain far ahead of the pack, but the rest of the top seven have at least put themselves in the conversation. The sixth seed, Lorenzo Musetti, who defeated the ninth seed, Taylor Fritz, will face Djokovic, while Sinner will duel with Shelton in a rematch of their 2025 semi-final.
