Holger Rune on the brink of a sensational rankings breakthrough after reaching Indian Wells final
Holger Rune’s sensational return to form continued as he made it through to the Indian Wells Masters final – and now he is set to be rewarded with a huge rankings breakthrough.
Rune shot to prominence when he beat Novak Djokovic on his way to a first ATP Masters 1000 title win in Paris in 2022, but he has struggled to live up to the hype that enveloped around him after that memorable success.
Rune was viewed as the next big star of the men’s game after that win in the French capital, but he has fallen off that pedistal over the last couple of years.
Now the young Dane is roaring back to the top and after beating Daniil Medvedev in a thrilling Indian Wells semi-final 7-5, 6-4, he is now just one win away from a return to the top ten of the ATP Rankings.
“It means everything,” said Rune. “The job is not over yet, but it feels amazing. Playing Daniil is one of the toughest challenges for me on Tour.
“I managed to beat him the first time [we played], but we know each other well. I obviously had the right tactics, but it was still so difficult because he puts in great effort and is super solid. So, I’m very proud of myself.
“It’s about finding the right tempo, and luckily I’ve got good leg work, so I can reach many balls. It’s a very specific tactical plan that I made with my coach yesterday evening and this morning.
“It’s about finding the right pace and which shots to hit, because so many players miss too many shots against Daniil. He makes you go for more, so I’m super proud that I managed to find the right rhythm.”
The return of Rune is a welcome boost to the men’s game, as he boasts a bright and vibrant character that would be a welcome addition to the business end of the game’s biggest tournaments.
He needs to maintain the form he has shown in Indian Wells to confirm he is back to his best, after telling Tennis365 last December that he needed to reboot his career after his initial breakthrough.
“Sometimes when you are winning, you think you should train the same, but everyone else trains so much harder because they want to beat you. So you need to follow the train in a way and I think I am back doing that,” Rune told Tennis365. “I’m willing to improve and listen to my team to do what I need to do.
“I don’t think about the expectations around me. I don’t think I need to win this match because of the expectations on me.
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“I am very competitive when I go out there and you need to learn that when you are young, you don’t know everything yet. It’s about finding out how to react after great moments and to practice even harder after great moments.
“I have always believed in myself, but over the last one and a half years, I haven’t put the right work in. Now I am putting the right work in I hope the rewards will come.
“Without the specific tennis, fitness and mental things we are working on, it won’t happen. Everyone can say they want to win a Grand Slam, but you need to put the right work in.
“I can only blame myself because the decisions were all made by me. Every coach I’ve had and every person I’ve had has done the best they can do for my tennis, but it needs to fit the person and I think it’s really, really personal to have the right people.
“There are not hundreds of guys out there, but it’s about having the right people in your team who can give me what I want to improve my game and I feel like I have that now.”
The second coming of Rune appears to have arrived and it might just be even more exciting than the first.
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