Holger Rune Makes Another Move Toward Improvement After Hiring Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner’s Ex-Team Member

Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic will play the Cincinnati Masters to start their campaigns in the United States.

Holger Rune Makes Another Move Toward Improvement After Hiring Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner’s Ex-Team Member

Novak Djokovic, Holger Rune, Jannik Sinner (Image via X/Novak Djokovic, We Are Tennis, Jannik Sinner HQ)

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Holger Rune is in Washington for the ATP 500 Citi Open. He will kick-start his campaign on Tuesday (June 22) against Alexandre Muller, with whom he will be locking horns for the first time in his career.

The Dane will play at the Canadian Open next, following which, he will be gearing up for the Cincinnati Masters. In Cincinnati, Rune will be with Marco Panichi, the fitness trainer, who previously worked with Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner.

The Italian ace, just a few days before the start of Wimbledon- which he ended up winning by beating arch-rival Carlos Alcaraz– fired Panichi, as well as physio Ulises Badio. Panichi and Badio joined Sinner’s team last year after the World No.1 ended his partnership with Giacomo Naldi and Umberto Ferrara because of the doping scandal.

The exact reason why Sinner split with Panichi is not known yet. But as per rumors, the Italian trainer said something in an interview that culminated in the end of the partnership. But now Panichi has found another player to work with. Rune’s mother, Aneke Rune, revealed the same to Danish outlet BT:

We will welcome Marco Panichi to the team. He brings enormous experience – not just in the physical aspect, but everything related to building a Grand Slam winner. That takes the idea up another notch. We know Marco very well and have always had a really good relationship with him. And he has always liked Holger.

Rune also worked with Andre Agassi for three days ahead of the Citi Open to get some mentoring. At present, the 22-year-old is being coached by his childhood coach Lars Christensen.

Boris Becker predicts whether Novak Djokovic will win his 25th Major

Boris Becker said time is running out for Novak Djokovic. If the Serb fails to reach his 25 Grand Slam titles tally at the US Open, then it’s going to be more difficult for him next year, given that he will turn 39.

Novak Djokovic (2)
Novak Djokovic (Image via X/Wolfy)

Djokovic is showing a glimpse of his former self only in Grand Slam events since 2024. But when he is up against Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz, he struggles. Last year, he lost to Sinner in the Australian Open semifinal and to the Spaniard in the Wimbledon final.

This season, the four-time Grand Slam champion denied him the chance to reach the French Open and Wimbledon final by beating him both times in the semifinals in straight sets. Becker, during the Becker Petkovic podcast, said the 24-time Grand Slam champion must realize that he can get more injured at this stage of his career.

I’m glad he reached the semifinals; he played a great tournament, but is that enough for him? He’s still playing tennis because he wants to win 25 Grand Slams to become the sole record holder. But it must be said that on their good days, Sinner and Alcaraz are better than Djokovic is on his good days. That frustrates him, but he’s a realist.

Djokovic last lifted a Major at the 2023 US Open. Since then, he has reached a Grand Slam final- the 2024 Wimbledon. Sinner and Alcaraz have lifted the last seven Majors, with Djokovic being the last player other than them to taste victory in this category.

Djokovic, Sinner, and Alcaraz are expected to participate in the Cincinnati Masters next. They were scheduled to play the Canadian Open, but they withdrew from it. At the US Open, Sinner will aim to defend his title, while Alcaraz will be bidding to double his tally, given that it’s here he lifted his career’s first Major. Djokovic is a four-time champion at Flushing Meadows.

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