McEnroe calls on Rune to fine tune his behaviour amid recent antics: "It's hard to be a total a**hole on the tennis tour"
ATPThursday, 04 May 2023 at 13:45
Holger Rune has been a heavy talking point in the past week after his incident with Alejandro Davidovich Fokina at the Madrid Open and has raised debates about his antics.
Including a player who in his career was not shy about his on-court persona in John McEnroe.
"I've said this before, I'll say it again, it's hard to be a total asshole and be on the tennis tour, okay? It's possible to do it but you end up living a very lonely existence," he said on his brother Patrick McEnroe's Holding Court podcast.
"He likes to ham it up, he likes to engage the crowd, but he does it in a way that kind of irritates his opponents at times. Certainly irritates the crowd. So what's happening is, he's developing a reputation," he added.
But by the same token, he sees a player who can get to the very top.
"I think Rune will come around. I do think he's a threat to do some serious damage at the French [Open this year]. The guy is a tremendous talent, brings a ton of energy to the court. I think he's capable of winning Majors. This year, probably not. He still to me is a little bit up and down in the course of matches, but we've seen him play great and big matches," he opined.
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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