"Holger Rune is a player with swagger" - Jim Courier says Dane is "different" from Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner
Jim Courier has hailed Holger Rune's recent performances, calling him a player with "swagger". The former American player said that Rune is different from Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, and is excited by their futures.
Eighth-seed Rune's campaign at the 2023 ATP Finals began with a loss against top seed Novak Djokovic, 6-7(4), 7-6(1), 3-6. After Stefanos Tsitsipas retired mid-match due to an injury, the Dane's third group tie was against home favorite Jannik Sinner. The Italian defeated Rune, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4, to confirm his and Djokovic's spots in the semifinals of the season-ending tournament in Turin.
Talking to the Tennis Channel Inside-In podcast, four-time Grand Slam winner Jim Courier dissected Holger Rune's performances on tour in the last few months. He attributed the 20-year-old's dip in form after the 2023 Wimbledon Championships quarterfinal exit against eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz to injuries and frequent changes in his coaching team.
"Well, I think we were surprised. And then when we found out that he'd been suffering from a pinched nerve in his back, it made a lot more sense. Yeah. And there had been a lot of complications with his coaching team as well. From the clay court season on, there was a lot of movement there between Lars Christensen and Patrick Muradoglou, back and forth. And then eventually, Boris Becker entered the scene this fall," Courier said.
Elaborating further, the former World No. 1 spoke about a new potential rivalry between Holger Rune, Carlos Alcaraz, and Jannik Sinner.
"That seemed to time out with his body being back to full strength as far as health goes. Maybe not full fitness, but the confidence has come back. And that's been nice to see because he's a player with swagger. He's a character in this new, younger triumvirate with Rune and Alcaraz and Sinner," Courier added.
"He's different, you know, and you want three different guys like that coming through. They may not be the next big three, but they're in the same age group, and they've got the same ambition. It's going to be interesting to watch those guys."
"Holger Rune knows that Boris Becker did amazing work with Novak Djokovic" - Jim Courier
Amid poor form after the 2023 Wimbledon Championships, World No. 8 Holger Rune added Novak Djokovic's former coach Boris Becker to his coaching team in a bid to turn his fortunes.
Speaking to the Tennis Channel Inside-In podcast, Jim Courier said that Rune is aware of the success that Becker brought to Djokovic.
"Holger's going to respect Boris, and he's going to know that Boris did amazing work with Djokovic. Djokovic was a player who was fully formed at that point, but was struggling to manage pressure and expectations in the Major finals. And Boris helped him unequivocally get past that. He became the player he is today because he and Boris linked up," Courier said.
The 53-year-old American also acknowledged that Rune is a different prospect than Djokovic but believes six-time Grand Slam winner Becker has an exciting opportunity to coach the Dane.
"This is a different project. Holger Rune needs a lot of work in a lot of different areas. I would think it's extremely exciting for Boris to have a chance to help shape, not just the mindset, but also the strategy and fill out some holes in the game and make sure that everything is looked after. It's a great opportunity for both of them," Courier added.