"She's so important; without her, I would obviously not be here today" - Holger Rune credits his mother Aneke for his success after historic Paris Masters triumph
Holger Rune paid rich tribute to his mother Aneke during his post-match press conference after winning the 2022 Paris Masters.
Rune came from a set down to stun defending champion Novak Djokovic 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the summit clash on Sunday. With this win, the Dane also climbed into the ATP Top-10, following a memorable week in the French capital where he also scored wins over Stan Wawrinka, Andrey Rublev, Hubert Hurkacz, Carlos Alcaraz, and Felix Auger-Aliassime.
The 19-year-old thanked his mother during the presentation ceremony, which prompted another question on the topic during his post-match presser. When asked to describe the importance of his mother in his career, Holger Rune laid bare her immense input and role in his development right from an early age.
"Yeah, for sure. She's so important. I mean, without her I would obviously not be here today," Holger Rune said. "I mean, she's been supporting me since I was a little kid, and, you know, she's still here. It's amazing to have her by my side."
The teenager also expressed his gratitude to his other family members, including his father, who watched the match live, and his sisters.
"Also my whole family, my dad was here today and my sister back home," he added. "It's amazing to have my family supporting me so well. So I appreciate that."
"Of course, I'm going to go to Turin" - Holger Rune
Holger Rune will be ranked No. 10 when the new ATP rankings are released on Monday. He did not qualify for the season-ending ATP Finals but still has an outside chance of featuring in the event after World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz ended his season due to an injury.
Rune will enter the ATP Finals as the first alternate, meaning he will be the first player to replace one of the eight qualified players should they pull out or get injured.
The Dane also qualified for the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan but withdrew after securing his spot as an alternate for the Turin-based event. He confirmed his presence at the ATP Finals during his press conference, pointing out how he has an outside chance of featuring in the event.
"Of course I'm going to go to Turin. I'm one out," Rune said. "I mean, I wish all the players that I'm not going to play, because I wish them to be healthy, but at the same time it would be awesome if I got to play."
Rune, who was ranked No. 31 at the end of September, explained how he would never have dreamt of making it to the ATP Finals during that period.
"I didn't expect that at all four or five weeks ago but now I'm here. I'm super happy how I officially ended my season, and if there possibly is more matches, I'm just super excited for it," he added. "Right now I just can't wait to get some sleep, get some food, just relax totally."