Holger Rune appears not to consider technique.
Writing {that a} top-15 tennis participant is basically unaware of ways is a severe suggestion bordering on insult, so know that I don’t say this frivolously. Rune is a particularly gifted athlete. Just watch his highlights. Aside from an often dodgy forehand and iffy stamina, there appears to be nothing obviously fallacious in his sport. He’s quick—he can get to these heavy backhands down the road with two huge steps and a defensive slide—and he’s utterly assured in his motion. He can hit aces, return winners, groundstroke winners off both wing, drop photographs, contact photographs, and the rest you may consider.
None of this expertise helped Rune within the fourth spherical of Wimbledon on Monday. It took him 13 tries simply to win a degree in opposition to Novak Djokovic. Perhaps this was as a result of Djokovic, at 37, stays a mystifying riddle to unravel—regardless of his recent vulnerabilities, he pummeled the fuel out of the ball and harassed Rune’s sketchy forehand. But even earlier than he was matched in opposition to Djokovic, Rune’s aura withered up to now 12 months. He reached a career-high No. 4 on the planet in 2023 however had an atrocious 1-6 stretch within the second half of that season, and he was an anemic 21-13 this 12 months previous to Wimbledon. Rune has plunged to fifteenth on the planet and is but to participate in any main last, whereas Carlos Alcaraz has rocketed to 3 main titles and Jannik Sinner has grabbed one. Rune has been not underwhelming however dangerous, successful simply two video games in losses to Fabian Marozsan and Jan-Lennard Struff, gamers ranked dozens of spots beneath him.
A shedding quarterfinalist at Wimbledon in 2023, Rune watched the Djokovic-Alcaraz last from afar within the second season of Netflix’s Break Point, insisting that in 2024, he’d be in the championship match, not observing it. Dedicating an episode of Break Point to Rune was one in every of many odd choices the series made. The younger Dane misplaced to Alcaraz at Wimbledon final 12 months, and Alcaraz went on to beat Djokovic in a sensational last, so it is a bit like writing a e-book a few warrior who will get killed by a extra famend rival, then lies lifeless because the rival goes on to slay the baddest dragon on the planet. Perhaps Rune’s prominence within the episode was resulting from him, I’m guessing, being only one of some gamers to offer Netflix adequate entry to make the type of present they needed. But presumably additionally they thought they’d a particular participant in entrance of their cameras. Rune was 20 on the time and had crushed Djokovic in a fierce three-set final on the 2022 Paris Masters, then beat him once more at Rome in 2023. He has unbelievable self-confidence, which manifests in audacious photographs on huge factors and laughably ambitious quotes. He has the makings of a star—not a universally beloved golden boy, however a polarizing determine with a cult following who folks may grudgingly admire or like to hate.
Rune is 21 and broke out as a teen. Sophomore slumps aren’t precisely uncommon—Alcaraz had a foul stretch after successful Wimbledon—however Rune’s lapse in kind has felt particularly dire. He did his finest to reverse his fortunes at this Wimbledon up till his assembly with Djokovic, which was a golden alternative to make all people overlook about his shitty final 12 months with a single win. Yet Rune crumbled immediately. He performed with no obvious sport plan, utterly failing to reveal his opponent’s doubtlessly suspect motion by taking part in factors defensively and doing many of the operating himself. Aside from saving a handful of set factors late within the second set, Rune was each bit as dangerous and possibly worse than his outcomes from the previous 12 months point out.
Rune is one way or the other ranked 72nd on the planet within the ATP’s return of serve statistics, regardless of his bodily presents. Unlike Stefanos Tsitsipas, 20 or so spots above Rune on this column, his backhand return isn’t infamous for glitching just a few dozen occasions per match. Rune is balanced in forehand and backhand and has good reflexes—all of the makings of a pointy returner. But Rune likes to take ginormous cuts at returns, which might create highlights when correct however naturally lead to frequent misses as nicely. This is a fixable error, but Rune (up to now) refuses to repair it.
His instincts on the internet appear simply as flawed. At one level within the third set in opposition to Djokovic, Rune was 3-for-14 on internet factors, as poor a ratio as you’re probably ever to see. Commentator Patrick McEnroe stated he didn’t assume Rune was a foul volleyer however was making dangerous selections in his internet rushes, not setting himself up for superb volleys. McEnroe is correct: Rune has proven unbelievable contact earlier than. But volleying on the internet isn’t essentially about contact. If you are available on photographs the opponent barely will get again, you don’t want finesse, simply the great sense to thump the ball away into the open courtroom. That’s the Rafael Nadal playbook, and he did all proper for himself with 22 main titles. Rune has cramped incessantly up to now, and he typically rushes the web when beneath duress to chop a degree quick, which is honest. But in a straight-set match on a quick grass floor, there ought to have been no want for that, so I can not rationalize why he adopted weak strategy photographs into the web so relentlessly.
During his Break Point episode, Rune spoke extensively about needing to play his finest in opposition to Djokovic however talked little or no about ways. That could possibly be all the way down to Netflix chopping all of the granular stuff in order that informal followers might make sense of the episode, or Rune not eager to verbalize any precious methods to the cameras. But I don’t assume so. Another episode sees Tommy Paul speaking particular ways with coach Brad Stine, and Rune’s mom Aneke additionally talked about that previous to a giant match, Rune goes totally insular, conserving to himself in an nearly meditative state to arrange for the stress overdose forward. I’m fortunately not an occupant of an expert tennis participant’s mind, however a self-contained binge like that doesn’t sound prefer it includes a lot tactical preparation—simply constructive considering and nerve administration.
Add all that to one in every of Rune’s strengths—the large confidence that permits him to hit ridiculous shots on huge points—and I feel he is satisfied himself that he has all of the photographs he requires and easily must play his sport efficiently to turn into the most effective participant on the planet. He blasts each return as a result of he believes he ought to make all of them and is definite it’s only a matter of time earlier than he begins to. His peak degree stays seductively excessive sufficient to validate his considering, every nice efficiency enabling him to dismiss the poor showings that got here earlier than. He’s blinded to the concept of hitting his doubtlessly shaky forehand with extra security as a result of he can hit supersonic winners with it.
It’s only a concept, however this thought sample would mirror his stubbornness in his play type. It’s additionally a recipe for destruction. Players are consistently on the lookout for a leg up on each other; the second a world No. 1 stops bettering is the second they lose their edge and set in movement their dethroning. Not solely is fixed sport upkeep essential, however each opponent is totally different and warrants a recent sport plan. I don’t assume Rune elements this into his tennis, no less than not almost as a lot as he ought to. Rune has a widely known will-they, received’t-they teaching relationship with Patrick Mouratoglou, who was absent from Rune’s field on this match. Rotating voices within the teaching nook received’t assist Rune perceive the errors he is making. Why else would he step out on the courtroom in opposition to a 24-time main champion in Djokovic with no obvious plan in any respect?
The best-case state of affairs is that Rune realizes it’s higher to play constantly nicely than often excellent. He’ll add an additional buffer between his photographs and the strains, perhaps debut a pickle juice-IV remedy to stop cramping or work on his endurance within the offseason, and higher outcomes will observe. It’s additionally attainable that there is no getting back from shedding a lot over the previous 12 months. At 21, Rune has some margin for error. Snap out of this by 23 and it’s all good. But wallow a bit longer than that, and no one will care how or why the hunch started.
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