Holger Rune was tipped to be in a new ‘Big 3’ with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
The Dane burst onto the scene before Sinner’s period of dominance began, after he beat Novak Djokovic to win the 2022 Paris Masters.
But over the last two seasons the 22-year-old has struggled and fallen out of contention, while Alcaraz and Sinner have excelled.
Holger Rune also dropped out of the top 10, but he is working hard to find his way to the top and consistently compete for tennis’ biggest titles.
Photo by Daniel Kopatsch/Getty ImagesHolger Rune says he must make deeper runs at tournaments in order to face Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner often
Since Rune claimed three titles in 2022, he has claimed just two more. On the other hand, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have nine majors between them and they are ranked number one and two in the world.
Rune possesses the talent and weapons to be one of the game’s best, and he has defeated Alcaraz and Sinner in the past.
However, Rune has identified an issue which is preventing him from playing Alcaraz and Sinner on a more consistent basis.
“My problem is not beating those guys. My problem is being consistent in going deep in every tournament to get a chance to play them more often because I feel like that’s where I raise my level,” Rune told The Guardian.
“It’s very clear that when Carlos and Jannik play each other they raise their level. You push each other like crazy and this is a very exciting element of the sport.
“So having a good head-to-head against them, and also in the beginning against Novak Djokovic, when he was on top, makes me know I can do it. It’s just about delivering it consistently.”
Photo by MANAURE QUINTERO/AFP via Getty ImagesWhat is Holger Rune’s head-to-head record against Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz?
Rune has played Sinner on five occasions, and he began the rivalry by winning the first two matches.
But since the 2023 ATP Finals, Sinner has had the upper hand. He won their encounter at the season-ending championship that season, and they did not play again until the 2024 Monte Carlo Masters.
Their last meeting came at the Australian Open in January, which Sinner won in four sets on the way to defending the title.
Rune has won two of his matches against Alcaraz. The first of these came in the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters in 2022, before he emerged victorious in April’s Barcelona Open final.
Alcaraz has lost just one match since then, which was the Wimbledon final against Sinner back in July.