Rune’s career has not followed a linear trend in the last two years
Holger Rune’s career has not followed a linear trend in the last two years. The young Dane shocked the world at the end of 2022 by beating Novak Djokovic in the Paris-Bercy final and winning the first Masters 1000 of his career. Rune also achieved good results in the early part of 2023, with the finals reached in the Masters 1000 in Monte Carlo and in the Masters 1000 in Rome. Over the past year, his decline has been relentless and fans are wondering what’s going on with him.
Holger has changed several members of his team in the recent period and seems to be in total technical and tactical confusion. The Dane didn’t even shine at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, where he reached the last 16 before being literally dominated by Novak Djokovic on Centre Court.
Rune had often exalted himself against the Serbian legend in the past, but this time he never entered the match and surrendered in three quick sets despite a Djokovic far from 100% of the form. The Paris-Bercy 2022 champion decided to play the ATP 500 in Hamburg this week, but the situation has degenerated today.
Rune is injured
During his match against French Arthur Fils, Rune had to retire due to a knee problem when he was down 4-6 1-4. A difficult decision for the young Dane, who just cannot turn the tide.
The hope of the fans is that the injury is not so serious as to prevent him from participating in the Paris Olympics, which will take place on the red clay of the French Open later this month. A few days ago, Holger confessed that he wants to win a medal for his country: “I’m looking forward to starting the second clay season of the year, and I’m really excited for the Olympics. The tournament here in Hamburg is also super important in terms of getting ready for that. The temperature in Paris might be a bit different than in Hamburg, but it’s good to be back on clay. Hopefully, I’ll get a lot of matches and a lot of good training sessions throughout the week.
I also felt like Monaco and the French Open were the tournaments where I was putting the best level together and definitely performing like that in the French Open gave me a lot of motivation. But at the same time, super disappointed because I wanted to do better. But it’s always good to see the guy you lose to make the final and have a chance to win. So the good thing is it’s getting better. I’m improving and [I have] just got to trust the process.”
Rune’s rise has stopped in the last year and the Dane will have to work hard to catch up. Young talents like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have largely surpassed him thanks to their talent and continuity of performance. “We (Sinner, Alcaraz, and Rune) cannot compare ourselves at all yet to Novak, Rafa and Roger. But the fact people are starting to talk about the next Big 3 is exciting. It’s what makes tennis bigger and more exciting. Rivalries are very important. It’s interesting to have all the characters; that’s why hopefully they’ll be calling us the next Big 3” – Rune said in a recent interview.
He also added: “I thought if I could stay consistent, I could have already, maybe, had one. I’ve just got to believe in what I’m doing now and trust the process. How I’m best on the court is if I’m controlled when things go against me and when things go against me, I show emotions. I think Rafa is a great example of someone who shows a lot of emotion but also a lot of good emotion on the court. It’s a big inspiration.”
The crisis of Rune
The current number 17 in the world is far from his best tennis and his path has undergone a sharp involution in recent months. “How I’m best on the court is if I’m controlled when things go against me and when things go with me that I show emotions,” Holger Rune stated. “I think (Rafael Nadal) is a great example of someone showing a lot of emotion, but a lot of good emotion on court. I’m young and still learning. It’s important to try to take what’s best from each player and if I could take someone’s attitude I would take Rafael Nadal.”
The coming months will be crucial to understand if Rune will recover or if her crisis will continue. Fans and experts hope to see him again (at his best), because the Danish is certainly one of the most talented players on the ATP tour.
Arthur Fils en demi-finales au tournoi ATP 500 d’Hambourg 🇫🇷
Mené 6-4, 4-1 double break, Holger Rune abandonne pour une blessure au genou. ❌
Le Français retrouvera Sebastian Baez pour sa deuxième demi-finale de la saison sur le circuit principal. 👏pic.twitter.com/59uQGdjmEr
— Univers Tennis 🎾 (@UniversTennis) July 19, 2024
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