Holger Rune on chasing a first major, meeting Usain Bolt, the power of self-belief, and 'dreams that seem unrealistic for others' - Exclusive
Among the qualities that helped Danish tennis star Holger Rune reach world No.4 by the age of 20 is speed: He's lightning fast around the court.
So fast, he says, he wouldn't mind trying his hand at the 100-metre dash.
"In the off-season, I did a 100-metre run just with running shoes on, and I did around 12 seconds," he tells Olympics.com in a recent exclusive interview. "So, I would say I could be doing pretty good in that event."
But Rune, now 21, has chosen the sport he has, and his rise in it has been as quick as he moves on the court. At 19, at the 2022 Paris Masters, he stunned five Top 10 players on his way to victory, upsetting Novak Djokovic in a dramatic final.
It was Rune's first big splash on tennis' global stage, and he did it by matching one of the sport's all-time greats blow-for-blow. His confidence and unwavering self-belief are two things that have set him apart.
"It's actually always been in me," he said of that belief, speaking on a video call from his training base in Monaco last month.
"I think there's nothing called 'crazy' in tennis... you need to believe in yourself [and be] a little crazy," he added. "You need these big dreams that seem unrealistic for other people. But I believe in them. And that's the most important part: It doesn't matter what other people think because they're never going to achieve it. I think it's very important to dream big, and have people that believe in you and trust you."
Seeded 13th at Roland-Garros 2024, Rune has made the quarter-finals at the last two French Opens - his first at the Parisian Grand Slam - and looks to be a factor later this summer at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on his beloved clay.
He has great excitement, too, for his debut as an Olympian.
"I don't want to just enter the tournament and be a tourist, you know?" he said, laughing. "I want to do damage, of course. I want to go all the way."
PARIS, FRANCE: Holger Rune or Denmark celebrates with the winners trophy next to runner up Novak Djokovic of Serbia after the final during Day Seven of the Rolex Paris Masters tennis at Palais Omnisports de Bercy on November 6, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Holger Rune's major chase... with Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner
Rune was born just six days before another young star, Carlos Alcaraz, in 2003. When the Dane captured the Paris Masters in 2022, the two were the first teenage pair in the men's top 10 since Djokovic and Andy Murray - back in 2007.
It's Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, the Australian Open champion, whom Rune has most often been compared to in his burgeoning career, but now both those players have major titles - something Holger most certainly wants, too.
"I'm not going to lie... the goal is definitely to win a Grand Slam," Rune admitted. "I believe that I can do it, but everybody goes at their own pace.
"Sinner is two years older than me... so I hope that I will win a Slam before two years," he smiled. "Alcaraz won a Slam almost two years ago now, which is crazy, you know? It's just different paths, though. Who's going to end with the most Slams? We never know. Just because you start early or you start late... it's all individual."
Having worked with Patrick Mouratoglou, the former coach of Serena Williams, Coco Gauff, and Stefanos Tsitsipas, from summer of 2022 for a year, the two reconnected in early 2024 after Rune had made headlines for hiring Boris Becker, though the two split before ironing out their schedule details.
Mouratoglou, Rune said, is the one that understands Holger and how he works best.
"I went through a few changes and I think sometimes you have to do that to be able to find the right thing," he said of his coaching carousel, which also included former Roger Federer advisor, Severin Luthi.
"What I have right now is the right thing for me. Patrick knows me very well; he understands me [and] knows how I work. We get along very, very good. I think for me, I'm feeling good on the court and I'm feeling like I'm improving.
"I'm going in the right direction, and that's what is most important."
Rune on Paris 2024 - and playing with Caroline Wozniacki
Speaking of the 100 metres, Rune actually met sprinting legend Usain Bolt at the Monte Carlo Masters in 2023, the two chatting and then lining up for a photo op - crouched into starting block position.
"It was the first time I met him; he's always been someone I'm so inspired by," Rune said of Bolt. "He was kind of an idol for me, actually. I didn't get to sprint against him, but maybe we can do that [next time]."
Rune has continued to make history for his country in men's tennis, becoming both the highest ranked male of all-time as well as the first to reach the quarter-finals of a major. He'll have even more eyes on him from Danish fans during a European summer Games, which hasn't happened since London 2012.
"It's a whole different feeling when you're playing for your country," Rune said, pointing out the tennis tour's individual nature. "I'm excited to get to experience that."
Between the Paris Masters and Roland-Garros, Rune is an impressive 15-3 in Paris: "I always play good in Paris in general," he said. "It's a place where I love to play [and I've] produced my best tennis there, so it's pretty ideal."
It also could be the scene of a rare mixed doubles partnership with former women's world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki, his compatriot, who made a comeback to the WTA Tour in 2023 after giving birth to two children and taking over three years away from the game.
"I would love to play mixed doubles with her," Rune said of Wozniacki. "We got the chance to play together in Indian Wells [in March for a charity event] and we played some good doubles together. I hope we can make it happen... I think it would be very cool."
Rune on Viktor Axelsen: 'He's one of the best out there'
Regardless of whether he plays with Wozniacki or not, Rune said one of the highlights he's looking forward to most about the Games is meeting other Danish athletes and hearing their stories.
Denmark won three gold medals at Tokyo 2020 in 2021, including one from Viktor Axelsen, who remains the player to beat in international badminton.
"He's doing amazing, he's one of the best out there in," Rune said of the world No.1. "It's very inspiring."
The two had spoken over the phone a few times before meeting in the tennis off-season in Dubai, trading tips.
But Rune has emerged as a new kind of force in his sport, sometimes brash and in-your-face, his singular drive keeps him in the conversation with Alcaraz and Sinner, even as he's still knocking on the door of the biggest titles in tennis.
"I have this dedication, a tunnel vision," he explained. "Without that, you won't get [to the top]. The most important thing is to believe in yourself.
"I'm still young," Rune added. "I have a lot to improve. I think it's constant work, which I love about tennis: You can never be finished. There's always something that you can do better. And that excites me a lot."