10 Things You Didn’t Know about Holger Rune
Ranked firmly within the top 40 amongst the singles male tennis players on the ATP Tour, Holger Rune is well on his way to being one of the faces in this newest generation of tennis superstars. Rune, a native of Denmark, already has some notable tournament victories under his belt, and he’s just getting started. Before he ascends into true superstardom, here are 10 things that you didn’t know about Holger Rune.
1. His Favorite Player is Roger Federer
While tennis icon Roger Federer is leaving the sport, tennis will soon be headlined by those that were his biggest fans, and that includes Holger Rune. When the two practiced together in 2019, Rune was absolutely star struck. “Training with Federer at the ATP FInals in 2019 was unreal,” Rune said. “I was nervous before the practice session, but Roger is (such a) relaxed, nice guy, great person. He is my favorite player and I dream to be like him.” With any luck, Rune will take Federer’s common place of being the number one ranked tennis player in the world.
2. His Sister is a Model
Tennis is the obvious career path for Holger Rune, but that doesn’t seem to be the case for his sister, Alma Rune. Alma’s modeling career is just beginning, but appears to be getting off to a great start. At the 2022 French Open during one of Holger’s matches, the camera frequently showed off his family. This included Alma, who received a lot of attention on social media. “Haven’t seen a broadcast this obsessed with one single figure in the stands as this director has been with Rune’s sister this entire match,” one reporter noted.
3. His Mother is Very Supportive
To be a tennis star, you have to have parents that are willing to let you chase your dreams of making it to the top, and that’s what Holger’s mother Aneke has done for him. Holger was very young when he got started in tennis, and at first Aneke was apprehensive due to Danish culture where most want to go down different career paths. “He’s a freak in Denmark. He’s not like the others,” Aneke said. “He doesn’t want to be like the others…He sees himself in the tennis world. He likes being in an environment where there are people like him.” These days, Aneke is the CEO of Waterpoint and Minicooler.
4. He Won His First Junior Grand Slam in 2019
Rune was already a rising star in the tennis world when the 2019 French Open came along, but he made sure everyone knew who he was by winning the boys’ singles title that year when he took down Toby Alex Kodat of the United States. For Rune, it was perhaps his favorite tennis moment so far. “I still look back at it and think it’s an unbelievable moment now for my career, even though it’s juniors,” Rune said. “This title kind of means more inside to me than any other title ahead.”
5. His First Pro Grand Slam Match Was Against Novak Djokovic
After turning professional in 2020, Holger Rune had several tournament appearances, but didn’t reach a grand slam during that first year. In 2021, though, Rune entered into the US Open qualifying tournament where he ran through his competition rather easily. Awaiting him in the first round of the tournament after qualifying, however, was Novak Djokovic, the number one ranked player in the world. Rune would take one set from Djokovic, but would end up falling 1-3 to the eventual US Open champion. “Djokovic said many good things to me,” Rune said upon the conclusion of their match.
6. He Was The Second Youngest in the Top 100
After his impressive 2021 campaign, Holger Rune was named to the Top 100 of the ATP mens’ singles rankings when the 2022 season started. Rune made the list at number 99, signifying that the ATP took notice of his talents. With his ranking, Rune was the second youngest member of the Top 100 after only Carlos Alcaraz. At the time, Rune was just 18 years old, a few months shy of his 19th birthday.
7. He Was The First Dane to Accomplish Grand Slam History
Before Rune came along, no other Danish mens’ tennis player had reached the quarterfinals of a grand slam tournament in the Open Era. Rune was able to make history for his native country when he reached the 2022 French Open. Rune faced tough competition in the form of Denis Shapovalov in the first round, but was able to pull off the upset and made it to the quarterfinals where he eventually lost to Casper Ruud. It was quite a performance for Rune, though, as his tournament run got him to as high as 26th in the ATP rankings.
8. He Made Even More French Open History
That incredible run that Rune went on at the 2022 French Open wasn’t only historic for his country, but also for tennis overall. Throughout the first three rounds of the tournament, Rune didn’t drop a single set. That was the first time that anyone had done that in 17 years and it put him in great company. That’s because the last person to accomplish the feat is none other than tennis legend Rafael Nadal, a 22-time grand slam champion.
9. He Takes on All Challenges
Rune, while known mostly as a happy go lucky type of guy, also has a very competitive edge that sets him apart. This includes taking on any competitor on any surface. “I like to play on clay, hard court. I don’t mind any surface,” Rune said. As for who he goes against “If you drop your level, you can lose to everybody, because everybody can play. I have a strong belief in myself that if I really focus and play my tennis, I can beat almost everybody.”
10. He is Already Worth Millions
It has become pretty clear for the tennis world and corporate sponsors alike that Holger Rune is the next big thing in tennis. Because of this, he has already made millions for his performances in some of the world’s biggest tournaments, and sponsors like Nike, Babolat and Humanostics are lining up to get in on the action. Though early in his career, Rune is worth an estimated $5 million and that number is likely to skyrocket in the coming years as he starts to get some tournament wins under his belt.
