Holger Rune’s coach Patrick Mouratoglou reveals the chat he had with him that motivated him to defeat Novak Djokovic

Holger Rune, PatrickPatrick Mouratoglou, Novak Djokovic

Danish professional tennis player, Holger Rune made it to the headlines globally when he defeated the Serbian great Novak Djokovic in the final of the 2022 Rolex Paris Masters, becoming the youngest champion since Boris Becker in 1986. At the end of the tournament, he became the first man to beat five top-10 opponents in the same event (excluding the ATP Finals) and as a result of the incredible feat, he ensured his place in the top 10 ranking in singles.

Currently, Rune is one of the most promising youngsters on the tour. Other than the Paris Masters glory, Rune has cemented his place in the list of next-gen stars by reaching the final of Sofia, winning Stockholm, and reaching the final of Basel among others.

YouTube video — *Patrick Mouratoglou on Holger Rune*

Talking about the match against Djokovic at the Paris Masters, Rune’s French coach Patrick Mouratoglou recently shared an anecdote on the morning of the meeting. Mourtoglou said the morning before the final, Rune was not like the other days and was under some pressure. “We spoke in the morning before the final. But I felt that he was not like the other days. I felt a certain pressure. So I told him ‘come back, we have to talk again.’” Mouratoglou said, as reported by the tennisnet.

FS Video

“To believe that you can beat Novak in the final at 19 when you know who Novak is and everything he has accomplished is difficult. And there, I saw him come back to him. I saw on his face that he was ready. He is really expressive, I saw that he was finally convinced that he could beat Novak,” Mouratoglou further recalled about the morning.

Holger Rune: career highlights

Danish professional tennis player officially turned pro in 2020 at the tender age of 16. He made his ATP debut in March 2021 as a wildcard entrant in the Argentina Open where he eventually lost in the first round. Rune’s first ATP Challenger title came in Biella, but it was overshadowed by the homophobic comments he made during the semi-final match.

Rune then entered the top 100 of the ATP singles rankings on January 2022, becoming the second youngest male player after Carlos Alcaraz to be ranked in the top 100. He announced his arrival in the Grand Slams by stunning the fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the fourth round of the French Open this year. His quarterfinal showing at Rolland Garos earned him a top 30 spot in the singles rankings.

Rune’s biggest achievement at the tennis court came at his first Rolex Masters tournament this year where he triumphed over the seventh-seed defending champion Novak Djokovic in the final and as a result, moved into the top 10 in the rankings.

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