"Is a player with swagger": Holger Rune hailed as 'different' to fellow future tennis kingpins Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner by Jim Courier
ATP
Jim Courier believes that compared to the other members of the new heralded Big Three post Djokovic, Federer and Nadal, Holger Rune is different and has something extra to him not held by Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
Rune has showed some signs of a return to form despite seemingly ending his ATP FInals with some sort of an injury in a showdown which would've sent Novak Djokovic home.
But Courier attributes injury to his loss of form as he dealt with illness, a trapped nerve in his back, and frequent changes in coaching staff which threw him off course.
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"Well, I think we were surprised. And then when we found out that he'd been suffering from a pinched nerve in his back, it made a lot more sense. Yeah. And there had been a lot of complications with his coaching team as well. From the clay court season on, there was a lot of movement therebetween Lars Christensen and Patrick Mouratoglou, back and forth. And then eventually, Boris Becker entered the scene this fall," Courier said to Tennis Channel's Inside-In Podcast.
But Courier went on to say that he has a swagger that Sinner and Alcaraz don't have despite the recent injury problems which have halted his momentum.
"That seemed to time out with his body being back to full strength as far as health goes. Maybe not full fitness, but the confidence has come back. And that's been nice to see because he's a player with swagger. He's a character in this new, younger triumvirate with Rune and Alcaraz and Sinner," Courier added.
"He's different, you know, and you want three different guys like that coming through. They may not be the next big three, but they're in the same age group, and they've got the same ambition. It's going to be interesting to watch those guys."
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Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
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.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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