"He’s scared of nobody, he believes he can beat anyone, same as Carlos Alcaraz" - Patrick Mouratoglou on Holger Rune's mentality
Holger Rune has captured the attention of tennis fans and pundits with his incredible performances at the 2022 French Open. This has led many, including renowned tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou, to hail the teenager.
Posting a video on his Instagram profile, Mouratoglou drew comparisons between Rune and Carlos Alcaraz, stating that the Dane has the game to do well on clay. He also highlighted Rune's belief in his own game.
"I think clay fits his game quite well, he’s strong. He has the physical abilities. He’s hitting the ball hard. He’s good in defence, he’s good in offense. He has a very complete game. He can hit hard on both sides and he’s moving well, he’s covering the court well, I think his number one and two quality is his ability to believe in himself and his competitiveness. He’s a great match winner. He’s scared of nobody, he believes he can beat anyone, same as Carlos Alcaraz. And he is doing because he is beating top players," Mouratoglou said.
Rune has reached the quarterfinals of the French Open this year and faces eighth seed Casper Ruud on Wednesday. The Dane has dropped only one set at Roland Garros this year, in his four-set win against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the fourth round.
Holger Rune's mindset, competitiveness and hunger for becoming a top player caught my attention: Patrick Mouratoglou
In the video, Patrick Mouratoglou also spoke about the time he met Holger Rune when the Dane was in his early teens. Mouratoglou recalled that Rune's mentality and hunger to become a top player was what caught his attention.
"The most important, which is the mindset, the competitiveness, and the fact that he was living the dream of becoming a top player every single moment of the day, this he had already. This is what caught my attention so much," Mouratoglou said.
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Great victory against a top player who has always been an inspiration for me @steftsitsipas 👏🏼👏🏼
📸 #RolandGarros https://t.co/XtvInQY5y9
Patrick Mouratoglou also spoke about Holger Rune's rise through the junior ranks and how he excelled despite the mounting pressure that came with being a junior Slam winner and No. 1.
"He is someone who has always been able to win. He was at the top of the game in Europe under 14. Then a grand slam winner in juniors, he became number 1. Whatever he was doing, at every age, he was always at the top. Dealing with a lot of expectations, it’s a lot of experience he went through. He was able to perform through all those things so I think it’s a very good sign," Mouratoglou continued.