Ruud Claims Stockholm Title Amid ATP Schedule Concerns

20-10-2025


Casper Ruud captured the Stockholm Open title with a commanding 6-3, 6-2 victory over Ugo Humbert in a final that lasted just 68 minutes. The Norwegian second seed dominated throughout the match, dropping only two points on his serve in the first set and just one point in the second set. After breaking Humbert early in both sets, Ruud comfortably served out the match to claim his second title of 2025, following his earlier Masters 1000 victory in Madrid.

The victory came amid growing concerns about player welfare on the ATP Tour, highlighted by Holger Rune's season-ending injury during the tournament's semifinals. Rune had started strongly in Stockholm, reaching the semifinal round with victories over Marton Fucsovics and Tomas Martin Etcheverry before suffering a torn Achilles tendon that forced his withdrawal from the match against Humbert. The injury abruptly ended Rune's season, preventing his potential qualification for the season finale.

Ruud addressed the injury concerns in post-match comments, expressing frustration with the demanding tournament schedule. "It's very demanding when you go directly from tournament to tournament," Ruud stated. "Holger was in Shanghai last week, and when something is so demanding, something like this can unfortunately happen. We're all in some kind of risk zone when we step onto the pitch." The Norwegian added that while he couldn't confirm a direct connection between Rune's injury and the schedule, "in a way, all injuries are probably because of the tough schedule."

The concerns about player workload extend beyond Ruud's comments, with world No. 9 Jack Draper recently requesting the ATP Tour to reassess its packed calendar. Players have emphasized the need for a more manageable schedule to ensure long and healthy careers. Ruud acknowledged the physical demands, noting that players are "really pushing our own limits at the moment" and expressing sympathy for Rune's unfortunate situation while wishing him a speedy recovery.

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Four Men Charged with Hate Crimes Linked to Extremist Group in Stockholm

{'$date': '2025-10-20T12:07:47.939Z'}


Swedish prosecutors have charged four men aged 20 to 24 with robbery and assault in connection with three separate incidents that occurred in central Stockholm on August 27. The charges include allegations of unprovoked violent attacks with a hate crime motivation, according to court documents released by the Swedish Prosecution Authority.

The defendants are accused of robbing one individual and threatening that person's friend in Stockholm's city center, followed by what prosecutors describe as a severe assault against another person later the same night. Three of the men face additional charges for an assault that took place on the Stockholm metro system during the same evening. All victims in the three separate incidents were reported to have foreign backgrounds, though they had no connection to each other.

Prosecutor Gustav Andersson, who led the preliminary investigation, stated that surveillance footage and photographs show some of the defendants making Nazi salutes in connection with the alleged crimes. During house searches, authorities reportedly discovered materials and symbols indicating connections to right-wing extremism. The indictment specifically references the neo-Nazi and violence-promoting Aktivklubb movement as evidence of the motive behind the alleged offenses.

The Aktivklubb movement represents part of a larger international right-wing extremist network that outwardly focuses on strength training and martial arts. In Sweden, the movement gained traction in 2023 through the Aktivklubb Sverige network, which serves as an umbrella organization for local clubs. According to the Expo Foundation's 2024 annual report, five groups from Skåne to Hälsingland are part of Aktivklubb Sverige, with the number of registered activities increasing significantly last year.