Budkov-Kjaer, the new Norwegian pearl inspired by Ruud to shine

Carlos Navarro | 24 Feb 2025 | 14.38

Nikolaj Budkov Kjaer during the last Davis Cup qualifier. Source: Getty

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Norway is not a country with an extensive tennis tradition. The cold temperatures of the Scandinavian country, which make it impossible to play outdoors during certain parts of the year, and the affinity for other indoor sports (such as ice hockey) have kept this nation from producing major figures in racket sports. Christian Ruud paved the way, setting the stage for his son and Norway's top star in tennis, Casper Ruud... and now he, of course, inspires new names beginning to make their mark among the best. But one stands out above the rest: Nikolai Budkov Kjaer.

The 18-year-old tennis player from Oslo was crowned champion of the ATP Challenger in Glasgow yesterday. It is his first title at the second tier of professional tennis, achieved on a symbolic day for his country, as he faced his compatriot Viktor Durasovic, in only the second all-Norwegian final in the history of the sport. A day of great symbolic significance that ended with Nikolai's triumph, ready to break through and establish himself as one of the major gems on the ATP circuit today.

The future star of the ATP circuit already knows what it's like to succeed at the junior level. He won at Wimbledon in singles and at Roland Garros in doubles. At the US Open, he narrowly missed a triple, losing in the final to our Rafa Jódar, one of the few to exploit the few weaknesses of a player with a champion's build: tall, good reach, power from both sides of the court, a solid backhand with all the variations, and a forehand that, given time to prepare, can also be a cannon. At 18, Budkov Kjaer has already competed at the elite level and the results couldn't be better: he defeated Pablo Carreño at the end of 2024 in a Challenger in Alicante and pushed Etcheverry and Navone to their limits less than a month ago in a titanic Davis Cup showdown, the disheartening outcome of which has only fueled his competitive spirit.

FROM HOCKEY TO RUUD, THIS IS BUDKOV KJAER

We were very close to missing out on this gem with a special background: his formative years combined tennis and ice hockey until Nikolai, influenced by his father, chose the sport of the racket. "My father worked at the Tennis Federation for five years, so choosing tennis was more natural for me. He was at the Federation when Casper (Ruud) began to rise as a junior and established himself on the ATP circuit, so I was fully aware of how to work on the transition from junior to professionalism."

Here comes the second element of an equation that might be incomplete without him. The successes and work ethic of Casper Ruud have paved the way for Kjaer, who has already trained with the French Open and US Open finalist and looks up to him to continue his progress. "Casper is a huge motivational factor, both for me and many boys in my country. He is a role model, someone I admire and look up to; hopefully, I can become someone like him one day."

He also had the opportunity to train with Jannik Sinner, acting as a sparring partner at the latest ATP Finals, but Budkov Kjaer has a mission: to put Norway on the map, something he needs Casper's undeniable help for. "I always enjoy training with Casper, being close to him. He jokes around with me as much as he can, which makes things easier. We have a great time on the court. It would be fantastic to have two names from a small country like Norway in the elite ATP circuit. You dream of playing on the big stages, surrounded by full crowds. It's a dream for me, it's what I train for.". For now, the title in Scottish lands will propel Nikolai into the top 300 of the rankings, breaking another barrier and confirming a highly promising evolution. He is nearing the Grand Slam qualifiers... and the assault on a leading group that may one day speak more Norwegian than ever.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Budkov-Kjaer, la nueva perla noruega que se inspira en Ruud para brillar