“Norwegian Tennis Star Criticized for Wearing ‘Danish’ Colors at Olympics!”

Ruud’s Clothing Sponsor Under Fire for Issuing ‘Danish-Colored’ Outfit for Olympics

Norwegian tennis star Casper Ruud is making headlines at the Olympics in Paris, but not just for his performance on the court. Ruud, who is participating in his first Olympics, has sparked controversy back home due to his attire, which closely resembles the colors of Denmark’s flag.

Ruud broke a two-match losing streak by defeating Japan’s Taro Daniel 7-5, 6-1 in the first round of the singles tournament. He is set to face Italy’s Andrea Vavassori in the next round on Monday. The tournament is being held on the clay courts of Roland Garros, a venue where Ruud has fond memories, having reached the finals in 2022 and 2023, losing to Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, respectively.

Ruud’s opening-round victory was straightforward, with Daniel only providing significant resistance in the first set. However, it wasn’t the match that caught the attention of Norwegians but rather Ruud’s outfit. The 25-year-old wore a predominantly sharp red T-shirt with a white cross pattern, closely resembling the Danish flag. His shorts were plain white with red blocks on the front and back, accented with black, while his wristbands were red and his headband white. The absence of navy blue, a key color in Norway’s flag, made it easy to mistake him for representing Denmark.

Olympic athletes typically wear uniforms that reflect their nation’s colors and symbols. Ruud’s attire deviated from this norm, drawing criticism from his compatriots. Fashion expert Marianne Jemtegard described the outfit as a “disc boom,” suggesting that Ruud had not considered the negative implications of wearing it.

“The jersey is undeniably very similar to the Danish flag. He has thought very little about what signals he sends out when he puts it on today,” Jemtegard commented.

Ruud acknowledged the feedback, explaining that the choice of colors was not his but that of his clothing sponsor, Yonex. He expressed a desire for more blue in the outfit to better represent Norway.

“I would have liked to see a little more blue in it myself. It is not me who designed it, and I just put up with what I get. But yes, I missed the blue,” Ruud said in an interview with NRK.

Ruud also mentioned that his shoes and a small Norwegian flag on them provided a bit of the missing blue, but he still felt it was insufficient. He hinted that he would request more blue in future outfits, though he could not promise any changes.

To engage with his fans, Ruud tweeted, asking his followers on X if he should add a little blue to his outfit before his second-round match. Danish tennis player Holger Rune jokingly commented that Ruud should keep the outfit, suggesting Danish fans might appreciate it.

“People might think I play anyway. Keep it up with the Scandinavian wins (and the outfit),” Rune wrote in response to Ruud’s post.