ATP Finals star jets in for £118k payday without playing a match

Casper Ruud has made a last-minute trip to Turin to become the second alternate at this year's ATP Finals. The world No. 10 had previously competed in three of the last four season-ending championships but just missed out on qualifying in 2025.

Ruud had already started his off-season and went on holiday before he was called up to be the second alternate in Turin this year. But Novak Djokovic's withdrawal threw things off, and the Norwegian star will now pocket £118k ($155k) without playing a single match.

The race to the ATP Finals went down to the wire this year. Felix Auger-Aliassime and Lorenzo Musetti were fighting for the last place in Turin, but Musetti's defeat to Djokovic in the Athens final meant that Auger-Aliassime qualified.

The Italian was then expected to be the first alternate at the year-end Finals, and Alexander Bublik the second alternate. But that didn't last long, as Djokovic pulled out of the ATP Finals as soon as he won the Hellenic Championship title on Saturday, and Musetti replaced him in the draw.

It meant that Bublik became the first alternate, and the ATP had to find someone else to fill the second alternate spot. That man was Ruud, who was the next player down in the Race to Turin.

Norwegian media started reporting that Ruud had agreed to fly to Italy at the 11th hour. He got there in quick time and was spotted in the stands for Carlos Alcaraz's opening round-robin match against Alex de Minaur on Sunday.

It's no surprise that Ruud was happy to step in. Alternates at the ATP Finals receive £118k ($155k) in appearance fees without playing a single match.

Should either Bublik or Ruud come in to play just one match, they'd get an extra £126k. Two matches come with a £189k payment, and playing three matches would see them receive another £252k.

That doesn't include prize money either. A round-robin match victory carries £301k in prize money, plus 200 ranking points, so both Bublik and Ruud will need to be ready to step in if there are any withdrawals during the group stage.

While Bublik knew he would get a spot as an alternate in Turin, things were very different for Ruud. Just a week ago, the world No. 10 posted some snaps from his off-season vacation on social media and was relaxing in a pool.

The three-time Grand Slam finalist ended his season with an early exit at the Paris Masters, suffering a 6-3 7-5 defeat to Daniel Altmaier. But he's now back on the road for at least one more week before enjoying his off-season again.