Roger Federer’s former coach Severin Luthi has spoken for the first time since his unexpected split with Holger Rune was announced earlier this week.
Luthi confirmed the statement made by Rune’s mother Aneke that “the timing” of the arrangement was “not right” and said his work with the Dane was “anything but a quick fix.”
Rune announced in December that Luthi would join his coaching team for the 2024 season and work alongside tennis legend Boris Becker, who he hired in October.
The 48-year-old Swiss coach accompanied Rune at the 2024 Australian Open this month, where the world No 7 was upset by French wildcard Arthur Cazaux in the second round.
Luthi coached 20-time Grand Slam champion Federer from 2007 until his retirement in 2022 and also captained Switzerland’s 2014 Davis Cup winning team.
Speaking to Swiss news outlet Blick, Luthi echoed Aneke Rune’s claim that the “timing” of the partnership was the issue.
“If you notice this (that the timing was not right), then I say: we would rather separate now than in six months. [The collaboration was] anything but a quick fix,” the Swiss said.
“I think about things like this carefully, maybe sometimes too carefully. I’m glad I was able to have this experience – it was my first job after Roger Federer’s retirement. That will help me personally.”
The report also revealed that Luthi described Rune as a “funny guy” who is “incredibly curious” and that he “asks a lot of questions and isn’t above doing extra laps.”
In an interview with Danish publication Ekstra Bladet earlier this week, Aneke Rune divulged that Luthi would no longer be working with her son.
“I just want to inform you that from now on Holger will only have Boris and Kenneth in his coaching staff,” Aneke Rune explained.
“Don’t want to make a big deal out of it, but the timing with Severin was clearly not right. It would be too few weeks for Severin to be able to cover for the continuity that Holger needs.”
Rune’s mother also outlined that Danish coach and former ATP player Kenneth Carlsen would now take on a more central role in the coaching team.
“With the constellation Boris and Kenneth, Holger gets the flow he wants for his development and stability,” she added.
“Boris and Kenneth have been in contact since pre-season, when Kenneth was already considered for the coaching team. And from now on, the majority of all the big tournaments will be with both coaches, it goes on.
“For Holger, it is absolutely right to expand the planned collaboration with Kenneth, with whom he also trained for several periods during his junior years.”
Rune will face qualifier Pablo Llamas Ruiz in his first match at the ATP 250 event in Montpellier on Thursday as he looks to bounce back from his Australian Open disappointment.
The 20-year-old Dane is the top seed at the tournament and will face world No 133 Michael Mmoh if he reaches the quarter-finals.