"Was a myth that they didn't have time; fact is it hasn't worked & Holger Rune needs to figure it out": Mark Petchey on Dane's split with Boris Becker
Boris Becker and Holger Rune announced their split earlier this month. The decision came just months after the duo had forged a partnership. Both parties have presented their reasoning behind the call, but that has not made the decision any less surprising for fans or tennis observers.
Former tennis player Mark Petchey, for one, described the announcement as “bizarre” in his latest appearance on the Tennis Channel Inside-In podcast.
Elaborating, the Briton said that the duo simply did not spend enough time together to assess the impact of their partnership.
"As for Holger Rune, that's just bizarre, I mean, it's, you know, to get those guys on board, that's not enough time," Mark Petchey said. "I mean, Boris Becker couldn't even travel to Australia for known reasons." (at 16.40)
Petchey said he found the lack of time being cited as one of the reasons behind the duo deciding to part ways difficult to comprehend, dubbing it a “myth”.
He added that things did not work out between the two and that Rune needed to put in work to figure out the right coaching set-up for himself.
"For, me I don't I don't really understand. It certainly wasn't time, Let's be honest. That was absolutely. You know, that was a myth, you know, whatever that mirage was that they said they didn't have the time. Yeah. The fact was it? It hasn't worked and Holger Rune needs to figure it out," he added. (at 17.10)
"Some ideas that you have at start coaching liason die on the vine" - Mark Petchey on Holger Rune-Boris Becker split
Without actually pointing out anything specific about the Holger Rune-Boris Becker partnership, Mark Petchey, who has himself coached top names like Andy Murray, said some of the ideas that a coach brings to a fresh partnership do not always work.
He, however, maintained that a couple of months was simply not enough time for a coach to make an impact on the players' game.
"There's not enough time for you as a coach, to really have an impact on a player's career," Mark Petchey said. (at 16.50)
"Some of the ideas that you have, at the start of a career, start the coaching liason will die on the vine, you will have ideas that you think work and you try, but they actually don't work and they could cause a bit more doubt," he added. (at 17.00)
Boris Becker and Rune had formed a partnership at the back end of last year, but the former announced their decision to part ways on social media earlier this month.