Holger Rune Confirms Associations with ‘True Icon’ Andre Agassi to Close the Gap on Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner

Holger Rune believes that Andre Agassi can mentor him in the right way.

Holger Rune Confirms Associations with ‘True Icon’ Andre Agassi to Close the Gap on Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner

Andre Agassi and Holger Rune (image via X/Tennis World USA)

🔍 Explore this post with:

ChatGPTPerplexityGrok AIGoogle AI

World No. 8 Holger Rune created a huge buzz over the weekend when he arrived at the Mubadala Citi DC Open for a practice session overseen by eight-time Grand Slam champion Andre Agassi.The Dane confirmed on Sunday that the arrangement with Agassi is more of a mentorship than an official coaching partnership.

At the Washington Open, where Rune is seeded third, Agassi holds the record for the most number of titles in this tournament with five titles, including two consecutive wins. At the media day, Rune spoke about his partnership with the American tennis legend:

I contacted him a few months ago. I have been able to see that he is a very intelligent person and has a unique and genuine way of interpreting the game. I think it is an ideal moment to start working with him because I am feeling good with my tennis, I have returned to my base. . .

The 22-year old has frequently changed coaches in his career. He further touched upon this aspect:

“I have been changing coaches quite a bit recently, and that’s not good, I stopped following a single structure. Andre is a true icon, and I believe he can mentor me in the right way,”

Rune will be starting his Washington campaign on Wednesday and will be aiming for his second title of the season.

Holger Rune’s erratic coaching partnerships

In the early days of his career, Holger Rune was accompanied by his childhood coach, Lars Christensen. Rune hired Patrick Mouratoglou as an additional coach in October 2022. In April 2023, Rune and Mouratoglou announced their split, however, a few weeks later, Rune rehired Mouratoglou to work with him at the Roland Garros. They continued working together until August. By November, Christensen had also ended his partnership with Rune.

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

In October, Rune hired Boris Becker as his coach for the remaining 2023 season. In December, Severin Luthi also joined Rune’s coaching team. However, Rune split with Luthi in January 2024 and shortly, in February, Becker and Rune also parted ways due to other responsibilities on the German’s part.

In February, Rune announced that he would reunite with Mouratoglou. However, in July, Rune and Mouratoglou decided to part ways for a third time. In August, Rune hired compatriot and former player Kenneth Carlsen as the new head coach, and in October, Rune rehired Christensen to work alongside Carlsen.

Holger Rune on Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz

The subtext of any conversation in the ATP tour today is undoubtedly the widening gap between the field and the Top 2 players, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. Sinner and Alcaraz have dominated the sport, splitting the last seven Grand Slam titles. Holger Rune has beaten both men twice—overcoming Alcaraz to win the Barcelona Open this year. Furthermore, Rune is confident that he is not far off:

The difference between them and some players is very large, but not so much with others. I consider that I’m not far off; my tennis level is very high, and I just need to correct a few things and be more consistent…

Jannik Sinner Carlos Alcaraz Wimbledon 2025
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz (image via Wimbledon)

Both the top 2 players have withdrawn from the upcoming Canadian Open, along with others like Jack Draper and Novak Djokovic, leaving the draw wide open for perhaps a new Masters 1000 champion this year. Rune further added:

I have already shown that I can beat the best, and that gives me the confidence to believe that I will do it again. There is a difference between beating them occasionally and being in the finals of major tournaments every week. That’s my goal now.

Rune will be aiming for his sixth ATP title in the Washington Open. He has reached the finals of two tournaments this year, including the Indian Wells Masters.

Also Read: ATP Pro Explains Why Carlos Alcaraz is ‘More Complete’ Player Than Jannik Sinner: “He Can Reach a Higher Level”