Player Features

Rune confident in return to the Top: 'I beat Djokovic in a Masters 1000 final at 19'

Much of the early 2025 ATP Tour buzz has centred around the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF class of 2024.

Jeddah champion Joao Fonseca made headlines by defeating Andrey Rublev at the Australian Open and clinching his first ATP Tour title in Buenos Aires. Runner-up Learner Tien has also impressed with Top 5 victories over Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev, while Jakub Mensik has earned wins against Casper Ruud and Ben Shelton.

Amidst the hype surrounding these #NextGenATP stars, one promising young talent has slightly faded from the spotlight: Holger Rune.

The Danish player, who secured an ATP Masters 1000 title in Paris at just 19, boasts four tour-level titles. He has reached the quarter-finals at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon and achieved a career-high No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Now 21, World No. 13 Rune spoke to ATPTour.com last month about his peers’ success and his own determination to remind fans of his capabilities through his on-court performances.

“I won a Masters 1000 against Novak Djokovic in the final when I was 19 years old. I think that says it pretty well,” Rune told ATPTour.com last month about the level he can reach.

“But it's all about consistency. That is what I am trying to find. If a guy like Fonseca is playing unbelievable tennis, and I've been practising with him, if they can keep that level in every tournament, we'll see them at the top of the game. That's what we hope because they're interesting players.”

Rune enjoyed semi-final runs at ATP Masters 1000 events in Cincinnati and Paris last season, while he reunited with childhood coach Lars Christensen in October. Christensen helped guide the Dane to the last four in Paris but Rune has struggled to find his best level at the start of 2025.

The 21-year-old reached the fourth round at the Australian Open but has failed to win consecutive matches since, falling early in Rotterdam, Buenos Aires and Acapulco.

Rune will hope to change that record on Sunday at the BNP Paribas Open, where he faces Frenchman Ugo Humbert in his second match in Indian Wells.

“I'm very hopeful in this moment. I feel like things are getting better together,” Rune said last month. “Consistency in my team, working dedicatedly and trusting what I'm doing is a nice feeling. I'm not stressed. At the same time, I was telling myself that a few years ago I was beating Jannik [Sinner], beating Carlos [Alcaraz], and now I'm struggling more. But I can't expect myself to be up there after a year or a year and a half of inconsistency with my team, tennis, and work ethic.

"It's not going to happen overnight. But it's going in the right direction and I feel it in my game already.”

Rune defeated Corentin Moutet in his opening match for the loss of just six games and was sharp on return. The Dane won 51 per cent (22/43) of points on Moutet’s first delivery, according to Infosys ATP Stats, highlighting an improvement in an aspect of his game he has been working on.

“I have been focusing on the basics—physical improvements, specific drills on my serve and return. Those two shots are the most important in the game,” Rune said. “I'm trying to step inside the baseline, trust my game, and be aggressive.

“Now I feel like I have a great base, so I can mix my game more. When I was struggling, I had to play with less risk because my technique wasn't as good as it is now. Now I feel like I can explore my level again with creative tennis, which I love.”

Rune, who has reached three Masters 1000 finals in his career, takes a 3-0 Lexus ATP Head2Head series lead into his meeting with Humbert and will hope to continue momentum on Sunday afternoon in the Californian desert.