Holger Rune had a tough time after his Wimbledon quarterfinal appearance. Never lasting for more than one match at a time, the 20-year-old Danish international found his form slumping towards a grim end to the season.
However, his appointment of an ex-grand slam champion as coach has seen the 2022 Paris Masters champion find his mojo again and, in the past two tournaments, has led to a series of wins that looked impossible a few weeks ago. Now, while competing in the Paris Masters, Rune is set to face a familiar foe, one whom he defeated to lift the title last year.
Holger Rune aims to upset Djokovic once again
Holger Rune faced Novak Djokovic at the Paris Masters as he was making his way up in professional tennis in 2022. Many expected a tough challenge, and Rune was ready to give it his all, possibly even upsetting the 21-time Grand Slam champion.
Holger Rune, a highly-rated up-and-coming talent, showcased his skills by defeating Novak with a score of 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. They crossed paths again in the 2023 Rome Masters quarterfinals, with Rune triumphing once more, giving him a 2-1 lead in the Lexus ATP Head2Head series.
This year, the situation has changed. Djokovic is enjoying the best season of his career, while, as previously mentioned, Rune is facing some challenges in maintaining his form.
Nevertheless, the pair’s clash at the 2023 Paris Masters on Friday night is bound to entertain fans and showcase a fierce replay of last year’s epic. Djokovic entered the tournament as world no. 1, while Rune is seeded sixth in France. A win for Rune would help his cause in qualifying for the year-end Nitto ATP Finals.
Much has been made of Djokovic’s record-breaking performances this year, but Rune will know that with the backing of his new coach and his opponent’s former mentor, he has a serious case of toppling the newly-crowned US Open champion.
Rune appointed Novak Djokovic’s ex-coach
After his round-of-16 win over Daniel Altmaier in the Paris Masters, Holger Rune immediately turned back and pumped his fist as he faced his coaching box. Present beside his mother Aneke Rune was Rune’s new coach, Boris Becker, who immediately jumped in joy.
“Teamwork”, was what Rune captioned his X post as he signaled his victory.
Holger Rune hired Boris Becker in October, during his loss-of-form crisis and a much bigger personal emergency. Becker is Novak Djokovic’s ex-coach, having guided the Serbian to six grand slam title and 14 ATP 1000 crowns during their partnership from 2014 to 2016.
Becker has immediately stamped his authority on Rune’s training regimen and the results are there for fans to witness. Rune has seen a sharp uptick in form since the German’s arrival and fans would hope it leads to grand slam successes in the future.
Ahead of his crucial clash with Novak Djokovic, who had praised the Becker-Rune partnership earlier, Holger will aim to imbibe his coach’s philosophy and experience of dealing with the Serbian.
What are your thoughts on the Boris-Rune partnership? Do you think it will help Rune secure a victory over the world’s number one, Novak Djokovic? Please share your opinions in the comments section below.
