Holger Rune was forced to withdraw from the Paris Olympics after a long-standing wrist injury.
It’s one of the most unusual off-court melodramas that has caused the question marks to grow about Holger Rune’s potential.
The 21-year-old Dane was hotly tipped for the top, especially after his win at the 2022 Paris Masters which saw him beat five top 10 players in a row, including Novak Djokovic in the final.
While his early successes left little to be desired, his back-room coaching changes, along with the presence of his mother Aneka Rune, have left the youngster’s on-court level to drop.
The on-and-off player-coach relationship with Patrick Mouratoglou is now off again for the second time in just two years.
At the end of August 2023, Rune announced his split with Mouratoglou after almost twelve months together, with his mother describing “ego clashes” within the coaching team.
After a failed brief stint with Boris Becker, Rune re-hired Mouratoglou in February, only to announce their separation on Monday.
Holger Rune posts social media message after dumping his coach for the second time in two years
With Rune facing a stint on the sidelines and sitting outside the top 15, he took to Instagram to announce the break-up.
He wrote: “I have had some good talks with Patrick, and we mutually decided to part ways.
“He will always be a great friend, but for now, the best setup for me is to continue with Kenneth who will be present at all practices and tournaments.”
Continuing he said: “Nothing changes in my relation to Mouratoglou academy who always have been very helpful to me. I am looking forward to being healthy and back on track again.”
The Dane may well be rightly aggrieved not to be competing at the highest level, with fellow 21-year-old Carlos Alcaraz racing ahead to clinch two major titles this year to add to his haul of four grand slams.
Is Holger Rune ever going to make it back to the top of the ATP Tour?
It is without doubt that Rune possesses a truly exciting game, with his speed and agility round the court the key skills that propelled him into the top five earlier in his career.
While a player like Alcaraz clearly has a phenomenal amount of raw talent, the off-court stability has helped ensure success, with the Spaniard still on track to win a hat-trick of major titles this year.
Rune’s run at the French Open was halted by eventual finalist Alexander Zverev in a five-set thriller which showcased much of the Dane’s superb shot-making and court coverage.
It must be frustrating to see your immediate rivals take a few steps up the ladder, while you struggle for consistency and steadiness in all aspects of the game.
With this extended recovery time over the Olympic period and time to reset from this failed coaching partnership, Rune certainly has all the skills needed to launch himself back into the conversation.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
