Holger Rune: I believe I can win French Open but time will show
Holger Rune continued his impressive performance at the 2023 French Open, reaching the fourth round for the second year in a row with a dominant victory over Genaro Alberto Olivieri on Saturday, June 3. Rune wasted no time in dispatching Olivieri, securing a convincing 6-4, 6-1, 6-3 win and advancing in the tournament.
The 20-year-old received a second-round walkover from Gael Monfils and maintained a fresh and energetic performance against the Argentine qualifier. The sixth seed struck 35 winners with powerful shots, while his aggressive and precise returns helped him secure victory in just two hours.
When asked if he thinks he can win the French Open this year, Holger Rune said that only time will reveal the answer. While he is confident in his potential to achieve his goal, he emphasized the importance of playing his best tennis, maintaining a positive mindset, and taking each match as it comes.
"That's a big question, man. Well, the time will show. We'll see. Obviously I believe I can. But again, I have to play my best tennis, be in my best state of mind to do it, and I have to take one match at a time," Rune said in a press conference.
Rune acknowledged that he hasn't expended unnecessary energy in the tournament so far and believes he can perform even better and recognized that the upcoming matches will be tougher and that he needs to step up.
"Luckily I haven't used too much unnecessary energy during the tournament so far. I still think I can play better, which is good. I'm in the fourth round and I can play better, so it's a good thing. But obviously the matches are going to get harder and harder from now so I have to step up also," Holger Rune said.
"I think it's the best recovery that you can have" - Holger Rune on sleeping a lot during tournaments
Holger Rune expressed his love for sleeping and mentioned that he typically sleeps for around 9 to 13 hours if possible, finding it enjoyable.
"Yeah, I sleep a lot. I love to sleep. I probably sleep around, I don't know, 9 to 13 hours if I can. It's a lot (laughter). I really like it," the 20-year-old said.
The Dane said that sleeping is the best form of recovery, as it allows the muscles and the body to relax. He added that he tends to get sufficient sleep so that when he is awake, he can be fully alert and focused.
"I think it's the best recovery that you can have. You know, I actually think the muscle relax, everything relaxes when you sleep, so I try to, you know, every time I can sleep. Then when I'm awake I'm fully awake, yeah," Holger Rune said.