Munich, Paris, Mouratoglou: Everything you always wanted to know about Holger Rune (but never had time to find out) – updated after Indian Wells 2023

Holger Rune won the first Masters 1000 title of his career in Paris in 2022 and is established in the top 10. Here are the answers to questions you might have about the Dane

How did Holger Rune make history at the Paris Masters in 2022?

Holger Rune became the first man to beat five top 10 players in the same tournament when he won the Paris Masters 1000 title in November, 2022. After saving three match points in beating Stan Wawrinka in the first round, he beat top 10 players Hubert Hurkacz, Andrey Rublev, world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz, Felix Auger-Aliassime and then in the final, Novak Djokovic to win his first Masters 1000 title.

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Danish teenager Rune makes history with stunning win over Djokovic to win Paris Masters title, breaks top 10

Tennis Majors

Who is Holger Rune?

Holger Rune is a Danish tennis player who flourished in the junior ranks before making an impressive jump to the pros. In the juniors, he reached No 1 in the world. In 2021, he played more than 100 matches at all pro levels, taking a set off Novak Djokovic at the U.S. Open.

Then at Roland-Garros 2022, he made his first quarter-final at a major by upsetting Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Rune possesses an all-court game. He can hit hard from the baseline but also change the pace and play at the net. Besides his game, he is known for his fist pumps.

Who is Holger Rune’s coach?

Holger Rune is coached by Lars Christensen, according to the official ATP website. Throughout his childhood, he was coached by Christensen, who, along with his mother, Aneke Rune, is considered his greatest source of inspiration. He has also been training at the Patrick Mouratoglou Academy in Biot since 2016.

On October 12, it was announced that Patrick Mouratoglou, the long-time coach of Serena Williams and now of Simona Halep, will join Rune’s team until the end of the year, until Halep returns to the Tour.

Where and when did Holger Rune win his first ATP Tour title?

Holger Rune won the first title of his career on the ATP Tour in Munich. In the final, the Dane took advantage of the retirement of Botic Van De Zandschulp, injured in the chest (4-3). In the second round, he easily beat the No. 1 seed and third player in the world, Alexander Zverev (6-3, 6-2). Jiri Lehecka, Emil Ruusuvuori and Oscar Otte were his other opponents during the week. 

Coming out of his semi-final, the 19-year-old had already shown his big ambitions: “I won’t be satisfied until I’m world No. 1.”

How many ATP titles has Holger Rune won?

Three. He followed up his win in Munich by taking the title in Stockholm in October, 2022, beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final. He then won his first Masters 1000 title by beating Novak Djokovic in the final in Paris in November.

When was Holger Rune born?

Holger Rune was born on April 29, 2003 in Copenhagen. 

Who are Holger Rune’s parents?

His parents are Aneke Rune, his mother who accompanies him at tournaments, and father Anders Nodskov. Rune also has a sister, Alma. He started playing tennis at the age of six because his sister was playing and started taking the sport seriously.

Who are Holger Rune’s idols?

Since becoming interested in and playing tennis, the Dane has been a huge fan of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, the latter especially.

What is Holger Rune’s best ranking?

Thanks to his victory at the Paris Masters, the Dane ensured he would break into the world’s top 10 for the first time in his career, as No 10. He hit a new career-high ranking of No 8 in early March, 2023.

What is Holger Rune’s best Grand Slam result?

Holger Rune has only played in five Grand Slam tournaments in his career. He lost in the first round at the US Open to Novak Djokovic in 2021, after winning the first set. He did no better at the Australian Open, at the start of 2022, when he was eliminated by the Korean Soon woo Kwon in five sets. But then came his big breakthrough in Paris.

Rune beat Denis Shapovalov in the first round, then took out world No 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the fourth round before going down to Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals. He lost in the first round at Wimbledon but began 2023 by reaching the last 16 at the Australian Open.

What happened against Casper Ruud at Roland-Garros in 2022?

A rare all-Scandinavian quarter-final saw an eighth-seeded Casper Ruud beat Rune 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3. But the encounter could be remembered more for what happened after Ruud officially progressed. Fans noted the frosty handshake, with Rune accusing Ruud of disrespect, something the Norwegian’s camp denied.

Is Holger Rune active on social networks?

Holger Rune has an Instagram account with over 381,000 followers, a Twitter account followed by over 48,300. The Dane does not have a Facebook account.