Holger Rune Makes Feelings on No.1 Ranking Goal Clear As He Sends Warning to Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have lifted the last seven Grand Slam titles, while Holger Rune has never progressed beyond the semifinals.

Holger Rune Makes Feelings on No.1 Ranking Goal Clear As He Sends Warning to Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz, Holger Rune, Jannik Sinner (Image via X/The Tennis Letter, We Are Tennis)

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Holger Rune is not satisfied with being only a top 10 player, because his goal is to reach the top of the rankings table. But he is well aware of the hindrances in the form of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz– the two Grand Slam champions who are occupying the top two positions.

Rune is currently participating in the Citi Open and will kick off his campaign on Tuesday (July 22) against Frenchman Alexandre Muller. He will lock horns with the 28-year-old for the first time in his career. The 22-year-old Dane was spotted working with tennis great Andre Agassi ahead of the tournament, sparking coaching rumors.

My goal was always to be No. 1; it still is, and I believe I can do it. I also believe there’s a few things I need to do differently. That’s one of the reasons why I reached out to Andre, to hear his point of view.

Holger Rune said during his pre-match press conference

Rune also confirmed that Agassi joined his team only for a short period of time; that his childhood coach, Lars Christensen, will continue to be his main coach.

The reason behind his reaching out to the eight-time Grand Slam champion was to “get some mentoring“. He currently stands at No.9 in the rankings, and he’s confident about his potential to climb to the top of the rankings.

It obviously does help my confidence to know I’ve shown a level that can beat Carlos, Jannik, and Novak [Djokovic]. That helps the belief, of course. On the other hand, there’s a difference between just beating them and making into those big finals week in, week out. That’s one of my goals now.

Holger Rune added

In the first three Grand Slam tournaments this season, Rune failed to go beyond the fourth round. At Wimbledon, he suffered a first-round exit, losing the match to Nicolas Jarry despite leading 2-0 at first. Sinner, Alcaraz, and Djokovic are not playing at the Citi Open. They are expected to start their campaign in the United States at the Cincinnati Masters.

Carlos Alcaraz confirms he has pulled out of the Canadian Open

There were rumors of Carlos Alcaraz‘s withdrawal from the Canadian Open, but his agents denied the same. Alcaraz then took to his social media to confirm that he indeed won’t be playing the Montreal Masters 1000.

Carlos Alcaraz (via X/Wimbledon)
Carlos Alcaraz (via X/Wimbledon)

After many consecutive weeks of competition without rest, I will not be able to play in Toronto this year. I have small muscles issues and I need to recover physically and mentally for what comes next. To the tournament and to my fans in Canada, I am very sorry, I will see you next year!

Carlos Alcaraz wrote on X

Check out his post here:

Alcaraz was playing tournaments one after the other since the clay swing. So far this season, he has reached seven finals and won five titles: in Rotterdam, Monte Carlo, Rome, Paris, and London (at the Queen’s Club Championships). At Wimbledon, however, he failed to complete the three-peat due to his four-set defeat to Jannik Sinner, who also withdrew from the Canadian Open.

It was Sinner who the 22-year-old Spaniard defeated in this year’s French Open final to lift his career’s fifth Grand Slam title. Last year, he failed to make a deep run in the two tournaments he played in the States, losing to Gael Monfils in the opening round in Cincinnati and Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round of the US Open.

At the US Open, Alcaraz will try to double his tally. It’s at Flushing Meadows in 2022 that he won his first Major.

Also read: Goran Ivanisevic explains why Jannik Sinner defeated Novak Djokovic at the Wimbledon Championship