Holger Rune was able to overturn a disappointing season by mounting an impressive title challenge in the Paris Masters 2024. The Dane made it to the semifinals before World No.2 Alexander Zverev humbled him. Despite an impressive run in the final Masters tournament of the year, two legends of the game do not appear to be convinced in the direction the 21-year-old is headed.
After becoming World No.4 last year, Rune was expected to build on that momentum and be among the big names by now. However, his career trajectory has since dropped drastically. Currently ranked No. 13, the Dane’s slim chance of making it to the year-end ATP Finals has vanished after his loss to Zverev.
Four-time Grand Slam winner Jim Courier did not mince his words in his criticism of the youngster against the backdrop of that defeat. The 54-year-old American believes Rune’s game has “no rhyme and no rhythm”. Courier told Tennis Channel:
“I, for one, have no idea what he’s trying to do out here. It’s just all happening instinctively – it’s like a full-blown jazz exploration out here. No rhyme, no rhythm. There’s a lot of great things happening, it’s just all scattershot and that is not a recipe for long-term success. It’s still a very immature game.”
Courier is spot-on with his criticism. While Rune has shown flashes of brilliance in his game, he has struggled to maintain consistency. This has prevented him from maintaining a top-ten ranking. Advising him on what he should do to raise his game, Courier added –
“If he wants to be with the big boys consistently, he’s gonna have to find something he can rely on rather than throwing paint against the wall and seeing what it looks like when it’s all said and done. He just needs a sense of order – doesn’t have it.”
There can be multiple reasons attributed to Rune’s downfall in the recent past. Many felt that the Dane’s frequent coach changes prevented him from being consistent, while Courier believes his scattergun approach has led to his own downfall. And one of Rune’s past coaches also seems to agree with Courier’s comment.
Boris Becker agrees with Courier’s criticism of Rune
The German legend reacted to a post carrying Courier’s criticism of Rune in X (formerly Twitter). Becker wrote, “Jim knows what he’s talking about!”
This comment is surprising in a number of ways. Not only outsiders but also someone who worked closely with the Dane seems to be on the same page regarding the issues with Rune’s game.
Jim knows what he’s talking about! https://t.co/IQFx17uzdt
— Boris Becker (@TheBorisBecker) November 2, 2024
Among the constant changes in Rune’s coaching camp, Boris Becker had the opportunity to work with the young prodigy for a brief period at the end of last year. That did not last very long.
He reunited with popular coach Patrick Mouratoglou at the beginning of this year, but that didn’t last either. At the moment, Rune is training with his childhood coach Lars Christensen to regain his lost form after failing to win a title this year.
It’s quite a fall for the youngster, who was once compared to Carlos Alcaraz. Many thought Rune would be the next big thing after beating Novak Djokovic to win the 2022 Paris Masters title. It hasn’t exactly worked out, though. Still, he is just 21 and has plenty of time to improve.
