Holger Rune lifts the lid on his shock split with Boris Becker
Holger Rune has broken the silence on his splits with coaches Boris Becker and Severin Luthi and declared he needs people he “can trust” to achieve his “big goals.”
The world No 7 recognised it has been difficult to find “the perfect match” to replace long-time coach Lars Christensen and explained he needs people around him “who have the same vision.”
Tennis legend Becker announced on Wednesday he had brought an end to his brief spell as Rune’s coach due to his inability to spend enough time working with the 20-year-old.
“I would like to inform you that I will step down as the head coach of Holger Rune with immediate effect,” the six-time Grand Slam champion wrote on X / Twitter.
“We started this partnership with the initial goal to reach the ATP Finals end of last year but moving forward I realised that in order for this to be successful, I would need to be available for Holger much more than I can.
“Due to professional and private responsibilities, I can’t give Holger what he needs now. I wish him only the very best and I’m always going to be his No 1 fan. I truly appreciated this journey together.”
Rune appointed Becker as his coach in October and the arrival of the former world No 1 helped him bounce back from a run of 10 losses in 11 matches from July to October.
Becker’s departure came just a week after Rune parted ways with Swiss coach Severin Luthi, who had only started working with him in December ahead of the 2024 season.
Luthi, who coached Roger Federer from 2007 until his retirement in 2022, was with Rune at the 2024 Australian Open last month, where the Dane was upset by French wildcard Arthur Cazaux in the second round. Becker did not travel with Rune for the Melbourne Grand Slam.
Rune has now split with four coaches in the past year after both Christensen and Patrick Mouratoglou left his team in 2023. Former Danish player Christensen had coached Rune since his childhood, while prominent French coach Mouratoglou had worked with the Dane since 2022.
In a press release to Danish media from IMG, Rune addressed the departures of Becker and Luthi and his high turnover of coaches in the past 12 months.
“As you know, I have tried different coaching constellations during the last 12 months. After working with the same coach for 15 years — my entire tennis life — it is not easy to find the perfect match on the first try,” the 20-year-old said.
“I have learned a lot and found out what is important for me to feel good and at the same time develop as I want. I have big ambitions and big goals, and I need people around me who have the same vision.
“And people I can trust to achieve my goals. I need people who know me – who can be there all the time. It gives me security and joy in a world with changing environments and conditions every week.
“I would like to thank everyone involved in the process, Lars [Christensen], Boris, Severin, I love you. I will be happy to inform more about my final coaching setup very soon.”
Danish coach and former ATP player Kenneth Carlsen is currently Rune’s only coach after the swift breakup of what had looked an impressive team.
Rune recently joined stars like Iga Swiatek, Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu at American sports management company IMG after his mother Aneke stepped down from her role as his press manager.
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