Holger Rune lauds Novak Djokovic as a great inspiration owing to his ‘extremely kind’ attitude

Rune says Djokovic's advice helped him improve his game significantly.

Holger Rune lauds Novak Djokovic as a great inspiration owing to his ‘extremely kind’ attitude

Holger Rune and Novak Djokovic at the 2022 Paris Masters (via Getty Images)

Holger Rune, labeled as one of the best next-gen players, has always lauded Novak Djokovic as incredible. On or off the court, Djokovic’s charisma and work ethic has been an inspiration for the Dane. Rune applauded the Serb for his inspiring words to him, especially when he was young in a recent interview.

The duo has even faced each other off twice on the ATP Tour. With their head-to-head tally being equal, both players are commendable opponents to each other. Most recently, they competed at the 2022 Paris Masters, where, surprisingly, Rune came out on top to clinch the title. Nevertheless, the veteran and the youngster share a friendly camaraderie with each other.

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Rune recently triumphed against Daniil Medvedev in the quarter-finals of the Monte-Carlo Masters. The young Dane defeated the in-form Russian in straight sets as well. And the 19-year-old owes much of it to the 22-time Grand Slam champion. In the post-match interview, Rune spoke about his rapid development and improvement in his game.

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Rune gave a lovely homage to Djokovic, who was gracious enough to mentor him a few years back. Speaking to Tennis Channel, he stated, “For sure (he played an important role in my development). He has been extremely kind to me since I was young.” Djokovic’s friendship and advice helped Rune to further his game quite a bit, according to him.

“He helped me improve. He told me ‘If you want advice, you can ask me’,” Rune added. The player also recounted when he trained for the first time with the Serb, when he was around 13-14. “He is a great inspiration and he shows year after year that he is one of the best players of all time. So I have a lot of respect for him,” Rune further appreciated Djokovic.

Also read: Taylor Fritz and Holger Rune called ‘DISRESPECTFUL’ by Justine Henin after their Monte-Carlo doubles withdrawal

Holger Rune expresses respect for Daniil Medvedev

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Holger Rune emphasized that Daniil Medvedev was a difficult opponent and said he had “a huge respect” for the Russian’s abilities and records. In the Monte-Carlo Masters quarterfinal, Rune defeated Medvedev, 6-3, 6-4. This was the first time the duo faced each other. Regardless, Rune described how tough of an opponent Medvedev is, as per their practice sessions.

The in-form Medvedev has been almost indomitable recently. However, Rune is more than happy to break his streak.“The last week it was not easy to stop him but I’m happy I managed to do it,” Rune said. The Dane will next face Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals to contend for his second Masters 1000 title.

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