"I'm not happy you beat me, but I'm happy for you because I like your personality" - Novak Djokovic after losing Paris Masters final to Holger Rune
Six-time and defending champion Novak Djokovic heaped praise on Holger Rune after the young Dane upset him in the summit clash of the 2022 Paris Masters.
Rune came from a set down to beat the Serb 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, completing a memorable week for him, during which he also beat Stan Wawrinka, Hubert Hurkacz, Carlos Alcaraz, Andrey Rublev, and Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Speaking during the presentation ceremony, Novak Djokovic congratulated Rune's coaching team and family and conceded that the teenager deserved his maiden Masters 1000 title.
"I wanna say congratulations to you and your team and your family," Djokovic said. "You absolutely deserve this victory - what an amazing week you had, fantastic."
Djokovic then cheekily admitted that he was unhappy after losing, joking about how he was happy for Rune anyway, given his admiration for the latter's "personality."
"I'm not happy you beat me, but on the other hand I'm happy for you because I like your personality," the Serb added. "I think you're a very dedicated guy that loves tennis and puts a lot of hours into hard work so it's paying off for you and I'm sure the future is bright for you and your team. Congratulations!"
"It's a bit HEAVY isn't it?" 🏆😆
As gracious as always, @DjokerNole 👏
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Holger Rune saved a whopping six break points in the final game of the match to close out a titanic win against the 21-time Major champion. The two played a stellar 26-shot rally in the game, which went the Serb's way to give him a break point.
However, Rune stayed calm and closed out the win in his favor. On Monday, the Dane will break into the Top-10 of the ATP rankings for the first time in his career.
"It was the most stressful game of my life, my heart was almost in my brain" - Holger Rune on the titanic last game where he saved six break points against Djokovic
Holger Rune acknowledged that he could not have asked for a better way to finish his week after beating six-time champion Novak Djokovic in the final.
"It means everything to me, a perfect way to finish the week," Rune said during the post-match presentation ceremony. "It's a privilege to share the court with Novak."
Mentioning the mammoth final game of the match, where he had to save six break points, Rune revealed how he was almost at his wit's end by the end of the game.
"It was the most stressful game of my life," Rune added. "My heart was almost in my brain. I was already starting to think about the tie-break. I'm very proud I could finish it."