WATCH: Holger Rune complains about a "smell" at Shanghai Masters; mentions his mother's smoking during bizarre interaction in 2R vs Matteo Berrettini
Holger Rune had a bizarre interaction with the chair umpire during his Shanghai Masters opening match against Matteo Berrettini on Monday, October 7. The Dane hilariously mentioned his mother’s smoking habit while complaining about the air conditioning and a peculiar odor present in the stadium.
Twelfth seed Rune, who received a bye in the opening round, kicked off his Shanghai campaign with a thrilling 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 comeback win over Berrettini to set up a clash with Jiri Lehecka. The rain-delayed match was initially scheduled for Saturday on an outside court but was finally played under the roof on the Stadium court on Monday amid extreme weather conditions.
The closed roof combined with high humidity, however, seemingly led to unfavorable conditions for the tennis players. During the second set of the match, Holger Rune complained about a peculiar smell, which apparently intensified due to lack of ventilation. Holger Rune hilariously compared the odor to that of his mother puffing on cigarettes.
"What smell?" the chair umpire was heard asking Rune.
"It’s just around here," the tennis player responded, sniffing.
"I’m used to a smoking mom," Holger Rune added, laughing.
Watch the video here:
"When you win a Grand Slam, I will stop" – What Holger Rune's mother Aneke said about her smoking habit
Holger Rune’s mother, Aneke, who is also his manager, always accompanies the 21-year-old to his tournaments and cheers him on from the player’s box. She has also often been caught smoking and vaping in the stands by fans.
During her appearance on the Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast earlier this year, Aneke opened up about her quirk and detailed her mid-match rituals.
"I’m a pleasure smoker," she said. "What I do normally is always after the first set I go to the bathroom and then I go have a cigarette. And sometimes I get back in time for the second set, but sometimes, you know, they don’t want to open the doors until the first three games are played."
"So maybe I take two cigarettes, I talk to the local people around and, you know, have a good time. Because, you know, I am not the coach. I don’t have to sit,” she continued.
Holger Rune’s mother also disclosed that the Dane and his sister, Alma, aren’t particularly fond of her smoking and often give her a “hard time” about it. She revealed her unkept promises over the years, which were a negotiation for her son's on-court glory.
"Oh, yes, (they give me a hard time) all the time. I made so many promises to Holger -- when he was No. 1 in the world in juniors, I would stop smoking; when he won a junior Grand Slam (French Open 2019), I would stop smoking. And now I said to him, 'When you win a Grand Slam, I will stop smoking.' And let’s see," she quipped.
Rune has yet to win a Grand Slam, his best results being quarterfinal appearances at the French Open (2022, 2023) and Wimbledon (2023). At the ongoing Shanghai Masters, the Dane is chasing his fifth career title and second in the Masters 1000 category after the 2022 Paris Masters.