Holger Rune questions his climb to World No. 4: “It was a gift because of the results of the other players”

Wednesday, 16 October 2024 at 20:30

Holger Rune said that reaching World No. 4 "was not a result of my work" and considered his highest ranking more of a "gift" due to the results of other players. The Dane broke into the top 10 for the first time at the end of 2022, just after winning the Paris Masters with an impressive victory over Novak Djokovic in the final.

Although he finished the season as World No. 11, he had few points to defend at the start of 2023, given that he had alternated between ATP Tour and Challenger tournaments. During the 2023 clay swing, he won the Munich Open title and reached the finals at the Rome and Monte-Carlo Masters. He also made it to the quarterfinals of both the French Open and Wimbledon, which gave him the final push to reach his best ranking as World No. 4.

"Now I feel like I have much more experience"

However, Rune recently revealed in an interview with Quindici Zero that he feels his rise to that position was more due to the inconsistency of his competitors than his own results: "Honestly, I deserved to be in the Top 7 / Top 8 because of the results I achieved between the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023," the 21-year-old player said.

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"But reaching the 4th place in the ranking was not a result of my work, it was a gift because of the results of the other players above me who did not defend the points from the previous year."

Currently, World No. 4 is Novak Djokovic with 6,210 points, while when Rune held the same position, he had "only" 4,790 points, which would hypothetically place him at World No. 6 today. "At that moment I was not ready: my game was not Top 4, as well as my mentality. Now I feel like I have much more experience, and this part is important, because you need to adapt in the right way to stay at that level."

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"Some people do it faster than others. I feel comfortable in every aspect of the game now: this makes the mental aspect less demanding and generates energy to develop my game again. So now I feel good about all of this," he concluded.

Rune is now preparing for his debut in the Six Kings Slam, where he will face Carlos Alcaraz in his first match. The winner of this match will move on to the semifinals and will face 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal.

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Zebraça e boas-vindas ao novo top 10, Holger Rune. Aos 19 anos, tenista dinamarquês derrotou Novak Djokovic para conquistar seu primeiro Masters 1000, em Paris. Bateu os números 10, 9, 8, 7 e 1 na mesma semana.

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Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist

Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.

His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.

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