“Such a pure soul” – Fans appreciate Holger Rune’s sportsmanship following his congratulatory post for ATP Player of the Year Carlos Alcaraz
Follow Us
Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune
World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz is receiving accolades from all quarters of the world for his incredible run this season. After winning two ATP Masters titles, two ATP 500 titles, US Open title, and bagging the youngest World No.1 position in ATP history this year, the 19-year-old added another valuable accolade.
The Spaniard won the ATP Most Improved Player of the Year 2022 Award. He was ranked World No.31 at the start of the season but finished the year with the No.1 rank, much to the delight of his viewers.
“I’m really happy to receive this award, and I want to say thank you to all my colleagues who voted me as the Most Improved Player of the Year. For me it’s an amazing achievement. This year has been a really good year for me, a dream year for me, and I’m looking to improve the year in 2023. Thank you very much,” the World No.1 said in an interview on ATP Tour.
Even his contemporaries have agreed that the Spaniard played well this year and deserves the honor. 2022 Paris Masters title winner Holger Rune took to social media to congratulate the 2022 US Open champion.
“So deserved man. Big congrats,” the young Dane wrote in his caption.
For context, Holger Rune was also one of the nominees for this award with Maxime Cressy and Jack Draper. Carlos Alcaraz will feature in the Mubadala World Tennis Championships soon. The Dane will play at World Tennis League.
Also Read: Report: Wimbledon’s ban on Russian and Belarusian players less likely to be extended
Young Guns: Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune
Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune are the new and emerging tennis superstars. Carlos Alcaraz finished the 2021 season winning the NextGen ATP Finals and ranked No.31 in the world. This year he won the Rio de Janeiro Open, Miami Open, Barcelona Open, Madrid Open, and the US Open 2022 titles this season. He also propelled to the No.1 rank this year.
Holger Rune, on the other hand, made the greatest jump in the 2022 season on the ATP rankings. He started the year as World No.103. He won the Stockholm Open and the Paris Masters titles this season. These wins and other performances this year helped him to breach into the Top 10 of the ATP rankings for the first time in his career. He finished the year as World No.11.
The Spaniard and Dane have played against each other twice in their respective careers. Carlos Alcaraz defeated Holger Rune in their first meeting in the Round Robin Group stage of the 2021 NextGen ATP Finals 4-3, 4-2, 4-0. However, this year, Holger Rune defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-final round of the Paris Masters 2022 to advance into the final.
Meanwhile, social media users also praised Holger Rune for his comments congratulating Carlos Alcaraz for winning the Most Improved Player Award. Sharing a wide spectrum of reactions online, here are a few reactions coming in on the above post.
Great expectations are from the two youngsters as they look to challenge the supremacy of the legends Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal; and wrestle against other youngsters Felix Auger-Aliassime, Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, amongst others as they embark on 2023 ATP season.
Also Read: Serena Williams has no match at the top of the list of most successful comebacks made in Grand Slams
Stay Updated!
FS Desk
(8024 Articles Published)