"I would rather win a Grand Slam and then be sixth in the world": Rune ranks winning tournaments over World No.1 spot
ATPMonday, 07 August 2023 at 16:00
Holger Rune has risen up the ranks but unlike Stefanos Tsitsipas, he doesn't see World Number One as an overall aim he wants to go for.
For Rune, it is about the amount of Grand Slams he will win in his career before being that. Both are goals for the Dane, but similar to Goran Ivanisevic who was never World Number One but won a Grand Slam, he rather be remembered for that.
He deems trophies and in particular Grand Slams as the gauge of a player and the most important aspect of the game with some reaching the heights of top five status and never winning anything.
His best display personally is winning an ATP 1000 and while he has yet to win a Grand Slam many believe that it is his next obvious step to compete with other stars of the Next Gen in Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner among others.
"Firstly, improvements, on my game, my physicality, because that's what I can control 100%. And then from there, probably the ranking," said Rune.
"But it's more like, the team and the coaches. But me myself, I'm more motivated to win tournaments. I would rather win a Grand Slam and then be sixth in the world, than not win a Grand Slam and then be number one in the world. So for me it's about tournaments."
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Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
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