It is no secret that tennis is a lucrative sport. World No. 6 Casper Ruud has raked in $22,366,769 prize money(singles & doubles combined) throughout his career, with $5M million(equivalent to 55 million kroner, currency of Norway) earned just this year, per ATP Tour’s official website. For many top tennis players like him, such earnings often lead them to establish residence in tax havens, saving a significant portion of their prize money. Not for the Norwegian tennis player, it seems!

The two-time French Open finalist talked about his earnings. “It’s a nice bonus. It will be my piggy bank for later in life. I expect that money won’t run out when you finish your career,” Ruud told VG. “That’s kind of how it works for athletes. It sounds and looks extreme, but first of all, I pay taxes too. Like all other Norwegians. I’ve chosen to stay here.”

His current residence is in Snarøya, a peninsula in Norway. Despite the rumors, Ruud made it clear that he has no immediate plans to leave. When asked again about moving plans, Ruud said,

“No. There have been many questions about it and a lot of writing. Regardless of which government is in power, I have chosen to stay and will do so in the future.”

This patriotism was on full display at the United Cup as well, where he kicked off his 2025 season. Ruud had a tough battle on his hands against Tomas Machac this past Sunday. The match stretched nearly three hours at Ken Rosewall Arena, with the highest-ranked Norwegian in history finally edging out Machac 7-6 (7/6), 5-7, 6-4. Despite the Norwegian’s impressive individual win, it wasn’t enough to prevent Norway from crashing out to the Czech Republic.

The former World No.2 continues to be dedicated to his country despite criticizing their tax reforms. Earlier this year, Ruud sparked discussions when he criticised Norway’s high taxes. With nearly 40% of his earnings going to taxes, there was speculation about whether the 26-year-old would move to a tax-friendly country.

“I have to admit that I have also thought about moving. There are very drastic tax increases that have been introduced in recent years(translated from Swedish),” Ruud told Dagens industri, a Stockholm-based financial newspaper.

He criticized the current government, led by Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, saying, “It definitely hurts to pay so much more in taxes. I think it is completely the wrong way to go by the Norwegian government. They are shooting themselves in the foot and causing a lot of capital and people to flee the country,” he said. In response, Norwegian politician Per Martin Sandtroen urged Ruud to remain in Norway.

“I would definitely encourage Casper Ruud to stay in Norway. Norway is a joint team, where everyone contributes to taking care of one of the world’s most well-functioning societies,” Sandtroen said in an interview with Nettavisen.

While Ruud remains committed to staying in Norway despite financial sacrifices, he has also shown a similar stance when it comes to navigating controversial opportunities in tennis.

Casper Ruud rejects controversial opportunities despite big money

Casper Ruud did not shy away from addressing the controversies regarding a certain tournament and has also touched on the conversation of human rights. While Saudi Arabia has been a hot topic in tennis for its big-money offers, the 26-year-old prefers to not partake in such events.

“I didn’t get an offer from Six Kings Slam, but I’ve had offers in the past and I’ve chosen not to go. It is of course a controversial country in many ways, but there are also other countries that are controversial that we travel to and play in,” Ruud said in an interview with Spilxperten.

He also pointed out the controversy surrounding China, saying, “You can certainly discuss China and human rights there, but we go there every year. There was a lot of talk about Peng Shuai and what happened to her, and it’s just to say that if you want to point to Saudi Arabia as a controversial country, you should also mention other countries that we’re not talking about.”

Ruud acknowledged the role of money in attracting players to tournaments in places like Saudi Arabia. He called it “sports washing” but also noted that such events could potentially bring about change.

“Of course, they have a lot of money, and I know what I’m saying will probably be described as sports washing, but it seems to me that their new leader Mohammed bin Salman will do something, especially in sports. He might want to change the country and maybe make it a little more Western. Athletes traveling there could lead to a change. Who knows?”

Ruud’s decisions show that he’s not just playing for the cash but also sticking to his guns. Whether it’s taxes or controversial offers, he continues to prioritise his principles first.