Holger Rune Admits “It’s Impossible” to Match the Intensity of the French Open Final Between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner's French Open final is regarded as one of the all-time classic Grand Slam matches.

Holger Rune Admits “It’s Impossible” to Match the Intensity of the French Open Final Between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner

Holger Rune, Carlos Alcaraz, and Jannik Sinner (images via ATP)

The Roland Garros final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will be talked about for years to come after both players produced an epic Grand Slam five-setter. Danish star Holger Rune was amazed by the stunning display of the pair and admitted that no player can match their level.

Alcaraz and Sinner faced off at the Philippe-Chatrier Stadium for the Roland Garros final. The former was hoping to defend the title, while the latter hoped for his first clay-court Grand Slam. Sinner began well, winning the first two sets, before Alcaraz forced the tie to five sets.

After five hours and 29 minutes, Alcaraz prevailed in the fifth-set tiebreak, dropping to the ground in joy and disbelief. The match was the longest final in the history of the tournament. Also, it was Alcaraz’s fifth consecutive win against Sinner, having last lost to the Italian star in the 2023 China Open.

Despite being the first time the pair had met at a Grand Slam final, the match proved that they were both at the top level of the men’s circuit. Rune admitted during his press conference at the Queen’s Club Championships that both players displayed their advanced level of physicality and mental toughness.

With both players setting the bar high, the former World No.4 now feels compelled to raise the level of his game if he looks forward to competing with Sinner and Alcaraz:

The first thing that came to mind when I saw the Roland Garros final was that when someone plays at this level, with the showcased physical shape, honestly, there is no better or harder sport. People can say what they want, but it’s impossible to match that. It shows how much tennis has improved and that it requires an insane level to reach the top. It motivates me a lot to push even harder.

Alcaraz and Sinner have now turned their focus to the grass-court season ahead of the Wimbledon Championship. The Spaniard is competing at the Queen’s Club Championships, where he’s hoping to win the title for the second time in his career. On the other hand, Sinner is seeking to claim his second consecutive Terra Wortmann Open in Halle, Germany, with Wimbledon slated to kick off on June 30.

Holger Rune reaches the quarter-finals of the Queen’s Club Championships

Holger Rune had to rally from behind to earn his place in the quarter-finals of the Queen’s Club Championships. The Danish star was down after the first set against Makenzie McDonald, but bounced back to win the match 2-6, 6-1, 6-1. He delivered a solid comeback win, hitting 30 winners, including 13 aces, while committing 15 unforced errors.

Holger Rune (4)
Holger Rune (Image via X, The Tennis Letter)

After the victory, he reflected on the turnaround, revealing that the key to his comeback victory was his serve:

The key was that I started serving much better after the first set. Honestly, I think it couldn’t have been a coincidence; among the points to improve, this was a fundamental one. I made several changes from that first game; it’s a bit crazy because I even adjusted something in my racket grip, and everything started working quickly.

Rune will now face Roberto Bautista Agut in the quarter-finals of the Queen’s Club Championships. He leads the Spaniard in their head-to-head record, 3-0, and recently defeated him in four sets in the first round of the just concluded Roland Garros.

Also Read: Carlos Alcaraz Wants to ‘Kill’ Novak Djokovic Because of ‘This’ Reason