Holger Rune Aspires to Become the ‘Third Man’ to Break the Dominance of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz

Holger Rune bottled a crucial match point against Spain that would've taken Denmark to the Davis Cup Final 8.

Holger Rune Aspires to Become the ‘Third Man’ to Break the Dominance of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz

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

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Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are redefining tennis rivalry and dominance after the Big 3 era. It seems the duo is almost untouchable, having reached the finals of the last three Grand Slams and shared the last eight Grand Slam titles between them. However, several players are keen to catch up to their level, and World No. 11 Holger Rune is one of them.

The Dane is at level with Alcaraz in terms of their head-to-head record, i.e. 2-2. Sinner has a 3-2 record over Rune, having won their last three encounters. After his match win in the first match for the Davis Cup qualifiers, speaking to Bolavip about the top two men’s players on tour, Rune commented:

I feel like I lack consistency in my identity as a tennis player. Often, I approach matches with a relatively offensive mindset, while other times I approach them with a more defensive mindset. That’s the danger. When I’m able to hit so many different shots on a tennis court, it can also be a bit confusing. I try to keep it as simple as possible. Of course, it’s inspiring to see Carlos and Jannik playing at this level, but I also know I can beat them.

Rune played in the Davis Cup qualifiers against Spain this weekend. Alcaraz withdrew from the Davis Cup after an exhausting North American hard court run, wherein he won the Cincinnati Open and the US Open. The Spaniard will next compete at the Laver Cup where Rune will also be his teammate. Sinner is next expected to play at the China Open.

Holger Rune loses a crucial match point that would’ve taken Denmark to the Davis Cup Final 8

Along with August Holmgren, Johannes Ingildsen, and Elmer Moeller, Holger Rune represented Denmark for the Davis Cup. In the second round qualifiers, which took place in Marbella, Spain, Rune defeated Pablo Carreno Busta 7-5, 6-3 in match 1. However, he lost match 4 to Pedro Martinez in a three-set battle lasting over three hours.

Holger Rune Davis Cup 2025
Holger Rune (image via X/Holger Rune HQ)

After leading 6-1, 4-2, Martinez had to come back from 3-5 down in the third set to defeat Rune 6-1, 4-6, 7-6(7-3) and force a deciding fifth rubber in this qualifiers playoff between Denmark and Spain. Martinez saved match point when Rune was serving and had Rune won it, the victory would’ve sent Denmark to the Final 8.

The fifth match was played between Moeller and Carreno Busta, wherein the latter prevailed in straight sets, sending Spain to the Final 8. The other seven teams that will play the Final 8 in Bologna include Italy (hosts), Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Czechia, France, and Germany.

Drama intensifies in the Davis Cup match between Holger Rune and Pedro Martinez

The match was extremely demanding and tense for both players, the discordant note of which was the chair umpire’s performance, who sparked outrage on both teams with some of his decisions. He failed to call Holger Rune out for overserving in the deciding set and penalized both players with two hits to the ball when no hits had been made.

At another point in the match, Rune returned a service that had gone wide to Martinez’s body. Although the gesture wasn’t intentional, and he apologized immediately, part of the Spanish team insisted on a second warning, which would have cost him a point.

Holger Rune Davis Cup 2025
Holger Rune (image via Dansk Tennis Forbund)

In the third set, with the 22-year-old leading 3-2, he requested assistance from his physiotherapist for a massage on his right thigh to address cramping. Spain’s Davis Cup captain David Ferrer also had a very heated exchange with the chair umpire.

The scene arose because the former World No. 1 felt that Rune was pushing the limits of the rules when taking the medical timeout. He approached the chair umpire for an explanation, but Ferrer was unconvinced by the explanations.

Also Read: Ex-ATP Pro Backs Holger Rune to End Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s Dominance by Winning Grand Slam Title Next Year