Do we have to lose faith in Holger Rune?

Streaming ATP Rome live tennis

🎾 Dusan Lajovic vs Jan Choinski

1. Sign up with Bet365 here
2. Make your first deposit of at least €5
3. Go to the “Live” section and watch every match

Watch the match on Bet365

 PUBLICIDAD

Register at bet365, deposit €5 or more into your account and you will receive 100% of your eligible deposit in Bet Credits (up to €100). New customers only. Terms apply. Winnings do not include the value of Bet Credits. Maximum prizes, game restrictions, time limits and terms apply. Registration required.

Since Holger Rune hatched at the París-Bercy 2022 Masters 1000, where he defeated Novak Djokovic to claim his first - and only - Masters 1000 title, he has only reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam twice. That victory did not come out of nowhere: it was preceded by organic growth that saw him win two prior indoor hard court tournaments... but that has not been reflected in the last three years of his career, years where the expected evolution as a tennis player has not materialized. Following his latest defeat in the second round of the US Open 2025, it's time to ask a tough question: Should we lose faith in Holger?

His breakthrough was as wild as it was exciting. In a generational transition context, Holger Rune had grown in the shadow of Carlos Alcaraz: he seemed to have everything to become his great rival, the necessary villain in a rivalry of fire and ice. Finally, that role was taken by a red-haired boy who went from not being able to compete (remember the Montecarlo 2023 semifinals, an agonizing duel where Rune appeared much more precise in tense moments) to becoming the world tennis dominator... while Rune saw his path filled with challenging obstacles and difficulties.

From my humble point of view, there are two principles surrounding the Danish player's situation. One: the hype generated that week in Paris was more than justified. The Dane had had a quietly effective 2022, winning his first ATP title and defeating top-10 players long before the final culmination. A player with multiple resources emerged, with a very polished technique (unlike biomechanical errors seen in strokes like Zverev's or Medvedev's forehands, Auger-Aliassime's backhand, etc.), capable of hitting all possible shots and, above all, showing tremendous ambition and self-confidence to compete in crucial moments. Yes, Holger was exciting... and now?

THE SUMMER WHEN EVERYTHING STARTED GOING WRONG

Since then, instability and turbulence are the two terms that best define Rune's career. Both on and off the court, Holger has begun to stumble, lacking mental and tennis order: his variations have become a double-edged sword, deepening his current indefiniteness as a player; off-court, coaching changes and the lack of outstanding physical preparation have condemned him in certain periods of the year, creating the image of a fragile, unstable player capable of the best and the worst.

Meanwhile, Alcaraz and Sinner have justified their rise to the elite, establishing themselves as the dominant duo of a whole generation and sending a message to the rest: winning Grand Slams against them will not be an easy task. Even Rune's messages have changed in light of the current tennis ecosystem: he has gone from stating that he can beat anyone and that we should wait to see who ends up with more Grand Slams... to appearing defeated and even accepting failures like the one experienced in this US Open.

Is there a solution to Holger's current form? The hiring of Marco Panichi as a physical trainer seems to indicate that, at least, there is a willingness to work and evolve in an area that greatly limits him when the match gets tough. Not only that: Holger will have to work on structuring his ideas on the court (with a clear game plan based on each surface, limiting the use of resources to certain match situations) and off-court (perhaps, currently, the prominence of many people in his environment creates a very toxic situational context).

If you ask me, we still shouldn't lose faith in Holger Rune. It seems clear that the label of a generational player is already too big for him, that he won't dominate the circuit like Alcaraz and Sinner will, but there is raw material and talent in him that makes me reluctant to rule him out of the fight for major titles just yet. Remember, at 22, what was said about Stan Wawrinka... and how his career turned out. There is time, tools... is there a will to bring order to the chaos? Only time will provide the answers we need.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, ¿Hay que perder la fe en Holger Rune?