Former world number one Boris Becker has agreed with the
criticism of America’s Jim Courier on Denmark’s Holger Rune. The 21-year-old is
still regarded as one of the most talented players currently playing in men’s
tennis in the singles category.
However, his court performances have been far from
consistent. Because of this, he has now narrowly missed out on a spot in the
upcoming ATP Finals. The mega-event, which is the last in the men’s tennis
calendar, features the top eight players and will be played in Turin this
year. Rune’s most recent outing was in the Paris Masters, where he lost in the semifinal
to Alexander Zverev in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 7-6.
Former world number one Courier recently spoke to the Tennis
Channel, as quoted by Tennis 365, where he criticised Rune. The 54-year-old said
that despite his talent, the Gentofte-born player lacks maturity in his gameplay,
which is stopping him from winning important matches.
"I, for one, have no idea what he's trying to do out
here,” he said. “It's just all happening instinctively - it's like a full-blown
jazz exploration out here. No rhyme, no rhythm. There's a lot of great things
happening, it's just all scattershot and that is not a recipe for long-term
success. It's still a very immature game. If he wants to be with the big boys
consistently, he's gonna have to find something he can rely on rather than
throwing paint against the wall and seeing what it looks like when it's all
said and done. He just needs a sense of order - doesn't have it.”
Former world number one Becker, who has also coached Rune in
the recent past, in a post on his official account on the social media platform
X — previously known as Twitter — has back Courier’s claims. “Jim knows what
he’s talking about,” he wrote.
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
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"It's still a very immature game...he just needs a sense of order"
Jim Courier had some interesting words about Holger Rune's tennis while calling his Paris semifinal vs Alexander Zverev for @TennisChannel
Do you agree? 🤔