Holger Rune’s season was not satisfactory and confirmed his involutionary parabola. The young Danish ace has not improved in the last year and opponents have identified his weaknesses very well, making him a more vulnerable player than in 2022.
Rune had reached remarkable peaks in the latter part of 2022 and the first half of 2023, with the shocking triumph at the Rolex Paris Masters defeating Novak Djokovic in the final that had deluded everyone. It’s likely that that victory came too soon and Holger couldn’t handle the pressure in the months that followed.
Holger Rune© UTS Tour/Instagram – Fair Use
The 2022 Rolex Paris Masters champion has changed several coaches in the last twelve months and has conveyed the feeling of not having a clear idea of what to do. His results have not lived up to expectations and fans are beginning to wonder what the real status of this player is.
Rune is working hard to recover his certainties and seems to have finally found the necessary stability within his team, but the next few months will provide more certain answers in this regard.
Rune’s goals
The 2025 season will also be very important for the continuation of his career and Holger will have to give his best to return to the top. Until just over a year ago he was considered at the same level as Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, while now his status has been heavily downgraded.
The young Dane knows that he has to improve a lot if he wants to reach the level of Italian and Spanish.
Jannik has been almost unstoppable in 2024, having won two Grand Slam titles, three Masters 1000 and the ATP Finals in Turin. The world No. 1 has won 73 matches this season and suffered only six losses, detaching all opponents in the ATP ranking.
Carlitos, on the other hand, did not have the same regularity as his great rival, but he became the youngest player ever to win Roland Garros and the Wimbledon Championships in the same year.
Holger Rune© YouTube screenshot
In a long interview with ‘Tennis365’, Rune talked about Sinner and Alcaraz: “I think Sinner has been a very complete player this year. Then when Alcaraz is playing his best tennis, he also seems complete, but at the same time, I can see that they can improve in some areas. That’s unbelievable when you think Sinner this year won almost everything. The great thing about tennis is everyone always has a chance to get better. Alcaraz has been great for tennis. He’s a great player, has a lot of skills and he is showing his skills on the court. Hopefully I will be there with them soon.”
Lots of controls
The 2024 season was also marked by two very shocking doping cases. Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek were both found positive, but managed to prove their innocence. Their cases have generated a lot of discussion and controversy, dividing both fans and players themselves.
In the same interview, Holger revealed that he had been tested several times this year.
“We had a lot of doping control this year,” Rune explained. “Before the Olympics this year, I had around 20 and that is a lot, but they are doing everything to keep the sport clean, which is very, very important.
“I take a lot of care about the supplements I take like every player, but it can be unfortunate or it can be something else.
Personally, I always take care of what I eat and drink. If I leave a drink anywhere, I never pick it up again. You have to protect yourself where you can to make sure I can do what I can to do what I love and that’s play tennis every day.
I do blood tests maybe once a year to see what my body needs more of, but that’s too personal to talk about. It’s things like vitamin C when you get sick and you need more of that.”
Holger Rune, Paris Masters 2022© Stream screenshot
The Dane has also had several physical problems in recent months and taking care of his body is an aspect he definitely needs to work on. The 2022 Rolex Paris Masters champion is quite prone to injuries, despite the fact that he is still very young and has most of his career ahead of him.
In 2025 he will have to show off more regular performances and prove that he is more mature from a mental point of view, having lost too many matches due to his character flaws. The 2025 Australian Open will be his first test to prove that he has grown and is finally ready to become a top player.
Tennis World USA