Ahead of his first-round match at the Monte-Carlo Masters, Holger Rune opened up about the disappointing final loss last year at the tournament which kept him restless for a few days. Rune is all set to compete on April 9.
Last year, he reached the final only to lose to Andrey Rublev in three sets 7-5, 2-6, 5-7. At first, it was tough for him to overcome the defeat, but finally, he heaved a sigh of relief after winning the Bavarian International by beating Botic van de Zandschulp in the final.
Holger Rune (Image via Imago)
It was very complicated. The best part was that I was going to Munich the following week and I won it almost without a break. Otherwise, it would have hurt a hell of a lot more. That night and the next day were tough, but it's part of the sport. I was happy to have made it to the final.Holger Rune told Punto de Break
Rune admitted that he wasn’t playing his best tennis at the Monte-Carlo Masters final last year. But he learned from his mistakes as he wants to play with calmness in a pressurized situation.
Obviously, I had several chances to close out the match, but that's tennis. I wasn't good enough, and that is what it is. I have to be calmer in those situations. I would love to get the title this year. I was very disappointed.Holger Rune added
Holger Rune believes he will win the French Open this year
The clay season has started, and Holger Rune has displayed he can be tough to beat on the red dirt. Apart from reaching the final at the Monte-Carlo Masters, the Dane played in the quarterfinals of the French Open in 2022 and 2023.
He even won the BMW Open last year and finished as runner-up at the Rome Masters. When the ATP Tour asked X who would win the French Open this year, Rune said he would win it.
One bold prediction for the clay court season is to win the French Open.Holger Rune responded
Here’s the video:
Though Rune’s records on clay are impressive, he gave his best at the Paris Masters. In that hard-court tournament in 2022, the Dane defeated current World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in three sets.
Rune has not yet won a title this year. He reached the final just once at the Brisbane International, losing to Grigor Dimitrov. At the recently-concluded Miami Open, Rune got knocked out of the second round after Fabian Marozsan defeated him in straight sets.