Rune on the Difficulty of Losing: "Accept Defeat, Otherwise Your Life Will Be Miserable"

Rune secured a prestigious victory in Barcelona against Alcaraz (7-6, 6-2), claiming the 10th trophy of his career.

While the Dane expressed satisfaction with his tournament performance, he knows a tennis player's season is long and filled with ups and downs. Speaking to Sky Sport, the world No. 8 reflected on the pressure of the ATP rankings and how to handle defeats:

"Being in the top ten doesn’t radically change my life. Tennis and rankings are like a hamster wheel—you always have to keep running, and sometimes you fall on the wrong side. Winning is always more fun than losing, but if you don’t accept defeats, you’ll end up having a miserable life.

Tennis players lose many matches in a season, except for those who have exceptional years and only lose a few times. Most of us lose at least 10 to 15 times a year, so being too hard on ourselves doesn’t help us feel good.

In recent years, I’ve learned that I have to give my best in every match, but if I lose, it’s also okay—I gave everything, and it just wasn’t enough."

With a bye in the first round, he will face Cobolli in the second round of the Madrid Masters 1000.