Holger Rune-Boris Becker split ‘feels like everyone’s trying to cover up for another underlying reason’
Holger Rune’s current coaching merry-go-round has raised some eyebrows with top tennis commentator Mark Petchey suggesting there might be more to it than meets the eye.
Just a few months ago Rune appeared to have found the perfect set-up with the legendary Boris Becker joining his coaching team in October before Roger Federer’s former mentor Severin Luthi linked up in December.
However, it was announced last week that Rune and Luthi had parted company with the Swiss coach stating the timing was not right.
“If you notice this (that the timing was not right), then I say: we would rather separate now than in six months. [The collaboration was] anything but a quick fix,” he told Blick.
And just a few days later six-time Grand Slam winner Becker also announced that he had stepped down as coach “with immediate effect”.
“Due to professional and private responsibilities, I can’t give Holger what he needs now,” the former world No 1 said in a statement. “I wish him only the very best and I’m always going to be his No 1 fan. I truly appreciated this journey together.”
Becker’s decision to quit came as a surprise as just last week Rune’s mother Anke revealed “I just want to inform you that from now on Holger will only have Boris and Kenneth in his coaching staff”.
“Don’t want to make a big deal out of it, but the timing with Severin was clearly not right. It would be too few weeks for Severin to be able to cover for the continuity that Holger needs.”
READ MORE: Holger Rune lifts the lid on his shock split with Boris Becker
Commentator Petchey admits the situation is peculiar, especially with both Becker and Luthi saying the timing was not right.
“He’s losing coaches quicker than I am losing hair follicles (laughing),” he started off on the Tennis Channel. “I mean I don’t really understand what’s going on here. He does have Kenneth Carlson still in his in his camp, so he still does have a coach at the moment.
“But one of the weirdest things about the whole thing is that I don’t have enough time to commit to the project, which is what Severin and Boris have both suddenly come out and said.
“If you’ve ever been in this situation where you’ve gone to coach a player, one of the first conversations you have is how much time you have to give, so I don’t know if everyone’s trying to cover up for another underlying reason which is what it feels like.”
The big question is what happens next for Rune in terms of his coaching set-up.
Petchey added: “Severin loved Boris as a player that was one of his favourite players. So it’s seemed like the perfect fit because everyone was going to get on because that’s also, you know what you’re looking to try and guard against is a clash of personalities.
“Honestly, you can’t have two better people, really, in terms of an IQ for tennis.”
