Norway's next star? Meet 18-year-old Nicolai Budkov Kjaer

Growing up immersed in both hockey and tennis, Nicolai Budkov Kjaer chose the latter, and at 18 years old, the Norwegian is quickly making his mark.

Budkov Kjaer continues to enjoy both sports, citing the adrenaline rush of hockey as a thrill he relishes. Before Budkov Kjaer travelled to the Nitto ATP Finals, where he was one of three hitting partners for the prestigious year-end event, he bought himself an early holiday gift: new skates.

“I enjoy skating with my old friends that still play hockey. I still have the speed, so I can give them a challenge here and there,” Budkov told ATPTour.com.

The #NextGenATP star credits his father’s role at the Norwegian Tennis Federation as a significant influence in his decision to pursue the sport in which this year he rose to junior World No. 1.

“My dad was in the Federation for five years or something, so it was more natural for me to choose tennis,” Budkov Kjaer said. “He was in the Federation when Casper [Ruud] was growing up as a junior and establishing on the ATP Tour. So he knew all the transitions and all the things that have to be done.”

Budkov Kjaer added his name to the record books this season when he triumphed at the Wimbledon boys’ singles event, becoming the first Norwegian to win a Slam singles title in any discipline, junior or professional. He also lifted the Roland Garros boys' doubles crown alongside Joel Schwaerzler.

After spending time in Turin, Budkov Kjaer competed in an ATP Challenger Tour event in Spain, where he defeated World No. 114 Francseco Passaro and former Top 10 star Pablo Carreno Busta.

Following Budkov Kjaer's rise is his countryman Casper Ruud, the top-ranked Norwegian in PIF ATP Rankings history.

“Casper is a huge motivator for me and many of my countrymen in Norway,” Budkov Kjaer said. “He is a big role model and somebody I look up to every day and try to become like him one day.”

The teenager, who also reached the US Open boys' singles final, had the opportunity of a lifetime at last month’s Nitto ATP Finals, practising with the best players in the world, including World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and of course, Ruud.

^{Jannik Sinner and Nicolai Budkov Kjaer practise in Turin. Credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour}

“I always enjoy hitting with Casper and I enjoy being with him. He jokes around with me... as often as possible, so it makes [it] fun [for] me,” Budkov Kjaer said. “We just laugh when we're on the court together.”

Budkov Kjaer hopes to soon join Ruud not just on the practice court, but competing at the highest levels of the sport.

“It would be cool to have two players on the ATP Tour from a small country like Norway,” Budkov Kjaer said. “You try to play on the big stages. It is what you dream about, to play on the big stages in front of many people and many fans. And it's a dream for everybody to play on the big courts. And it’s what you train for.”