"How cool is this" - Holger Rune delighted to be allotted locker room previously shared by Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic exclusively in Shanghai
Holger Rune recently expressed his delight in being allotted a locker room that was previously assigned to Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal at the Shanghai Masters.
The Danish professional is scheduled to make good on his Asia swing campaign after a back injury hampered his Davis Cup run last month. Rune marked his return to the tour at the recently concluded China Open, where he suffered an unfortunate Round of 16 exit at the hands of Grigor Dimitrov.
Now in Shanghair for the ATP 1000 event, the 20-year-old was delighted at the idea of sharing a locker room that served Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal's interests for several years.
In a tweet, Holger Rune recorded a walkaround of the Shanghai event's premises. The World No. 4's video showcased a digital wall with a timeline of when both Djokovic and Nadal were allotted the locker room. From 2005 to 2019, only the duo appear to have exclusively used it, a list the Dane has joined now.
"How cool is this locker room," wrote Holger Rune on his Twitter/X handle.
Rafael Nadal is a two-time finalist at the Shanghai Masters, marking his attendance in the summit clash of the annual event in 2009 and 2017.
The Spaniard was defeated by Nikolay Davydenko, 7–6(7–3), 6–3, in the event's 2009 edition and later fell short of clinching his maiden title in 2017 to Roger Federer, 6-3, 6-4.
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, on the other hand, has triumphed four times in Shanghai - claiming victory in 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2018, and has an impressive 34-5 record at the ATP 1000 Masters event.
Rafael Nadal: "With respect to titles, Novak Djokovic is the best in history"
Novak Djokovic recently bagged his 24th Grand Slam title with his 2023 US Open victory, extending his lead over longtime rival Rafael Nadal (22).
Talking in a recent interview, the Spaniard proclaimed that Djokovic is the "best" tennis player in history, going purely by the numbers.
"I think that with respect to titles, Djokovic is the best in history, and there is nothing to discuss in that," Nadal told AS.
"I believe that numbers are numbers and statistics are statistics, and in that sense, I think he has better numbers than mine and that is indisputable. I don't drop any rings nor do I have an ego big enough to try to disguise a reality that is not. This is the truth. The rest are tastes, inspiration, sensations that one or the other may transmit to you, that you may like one or the other more," he added.