He wasn't putting a single ball in the court": Mouratoglou's crazy anecdote about Rune
In 2022, the Dane experienced three extraordinary weeks, capped by a magical triumph in Paris. His former coach reveals the behind-the-scenes story of an achievement that seemed impossible.
Almost three years ago, Holger Rune made waves on the men's tour by winning his first Masters 1000 at Paris-Bercy, defeating five top-10 players along the way, including Novak Djokovic in the final.
This royal run was preceded by a lost final the previous week in Basel and also a title in Stockholm earlier that month. On Instagram, his former coach Patrick Mouratoglou shared an anecdote about it:
"His story is incredible. During practice, before tournaments, he wasn't putting a single ball in the court. He was hitting every ball flat, with full power. They were ending up everywhere except inside the court. And I thought to myself: 'What is this?'
Then, during the match, he plays completely differently and he wins. I thought: 'Okay. Let's do the same thing tomorrow.' (smile). He was world No. 30 in 2022.
He comes to me and says: 'I have an ATP 250 (Stockholm), a 500 (Basel), and a Masters 1000 (Paris-Bercy). My goal is to win all three to qualify for the Tour Finals.'
He was on a streak of six or nine consecutive first-round losses and he thinks he's going to win all three. He truly believed it. He wins the 250, reaches the final of the 500, and wins the Masters 1000 by beating five top-10 players, including Djokovic in the final and Alcaraz in the quarterfinals. It's barely believable. If he believes in himself...
