Holger Rune praises Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic after exiting ATP Finals in group stage: "We have the right number 1 and 2 in our group"
Holger Rune has ended his 2023 season with a group-stage exit at the ATP Finals in Turin. This was the Dane's debut at the year-end championships.
Rune was seeded No. 8 at the Finals and drawn in Green Group alongside No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic, No. 4 seed Jannik Sinner, and No. 6 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas. He began his campaign with a close three-set loss against Djokovic, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (1), 6-3, on Monday, November 13.
Rune notched his first win in his second match thanks to a mid-match retirement by Tsitsipas. He was in contention to qualify for the semifinals when he faced Sinner on November 16. Sinner, who had already booked his berth in the semifinals, took the first set, but Rune came back in the second to send the contest into a decider.
However, the home favorite, who looked in some physical trouble, rallied the crowd to wrap up the contest, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4, and end Rune's stay in Turin. The Dane took to social media to reflect on his time at the ATP Finals afterwards and congratulated Sinner and Djokovic for making it into the semifinals.
He graciously praised the two men for performing well throughout the year and wished them luck for the latter stages of the tournament. Rune vowed to be back at the ATP Finals once again next year and put on a better performance.
"Great battle yesterday. Super close as always . Jannick did amazing this season. Novak won 3 slams and did final in the last . We have the right number 1 and 2 in our group moving into the finals. Good luck to you both. I will come back stronger next year #NittoATPFinals," Rune wrote on X.
A look into Holger Rune's top performances on the 2023 ATP Tour
After a strong 2022 season, which saw Holger Rune win his biggest title at the ATP 1000 Paris Masters, the Dane began 2023 on a slow but steady note. He reached the fourth round of the Australian Open and the semifinals of the Mexican Open.
Rune's first big result of the 2023 ATP Tour came at the Monte-Carlo Masters. Seeded No. 6, the Dane bettered the likes of Dominic Thiem, Daniil Medvedev, and Jannik Sinner to reach his second ATP 1000-level final. Andrey Rublev, however, beat Rune to clinch the title.
The World No. 8 lifted his first title of the year at the Munich Open, where he was the defending champion. This was followed by another 1000-level final at the Italian Open. Riding on this good form, Holger Rune reached the quarterfinals at the French Open and then the Wimbledon Championships.
However, after London, Rune's form fell off a cliff as he managed to win only one match between the Canadian Open in August and the Stockholm Open in October. During his slump, though, Rune climbed to his highest-ever ranking of World No. 4.
A semifinal appearance at the Swiss Indoors Basel and a quarterfinal run at the Paris Masters then helped Rune qualify for the ATP Finals. He has ended the 2023 season with 43 wins and 22 losses against his name.