Jim Courier was very critical of Holger Rune during a match commentary as the former four-time Grand Slam champion thinks the 21-year-old has “an immature game” and “needs a sense of order” if he wants to consistently be a threat to the top players.
On Sunday, the Dane exited the Paris Masters in the semifinal after No. 3 seed Alexander Zverev handed him a straight-set 6-3 7-6 (4) defeat.
After losing his serve in the fourth game, Rune had a good chance to instantly get the break back – but missed out on two consecutive break points and ended up losing the first set. Midway through the second set, it only got worse for the world No. 13 after he dropped his serve and found himself 3-5 down.
On the brink of elimination, the 21-year-old showed some signs of life after earning his first break of the match to tie the second set to five games apiece and then saving a break point in the 11th game to ultimately force a decider. But just when it seemed that Rune had the momentum, he lost the first three points of the tie-break as Zverev ended up comfortably winning it to complete a two-set win.
Since finishing runner-up to Grigor Dimitrov in the Brisbane final, the former world No. 4 has made seven semifinals but Brisbane remains his lone final of the year. Also, he hasn’t won any titles since making it all the way at the ATP 250 tournament in Munich in 2023 April.
Also, the Danish player didn’t make it past the last-16 stage in any Grand Slam tournaments this year. Overall, the feeling is that Rune hasn’t progressed much since winning his first Masters title in 2022 Paris and breaking into the top-10 back then.
And Courier thinks he has a good idea of why Rune is struggling in the biggest matches
“I, for one, have no idea what he’s trying to do out here. It’s just all happening instinctively – it’s like a full-blown jazz exploration out here. No rhyme, no rhythm. There’s a lot of great things happening, it’s just all scattershot and that is not a recipe for long-term success. It’s still a very immature game. If he wants to be with the big boys consistently, he’s gonna have to find something he can rely on rather than throwing paint against the wall and seeing what it looks like when it’s all said and done. He just needs a sense of order – doesn’t have it,” the American tennis legend said while commentating the match for Tennis Channel.
What Rune said about his level and state in Paris?
After hiring Boris Becker and having a strong end to 2023, the 21-year-old also added Roger Federer’s ex-coach Severin Luthi to his team for 2024. But then, the Dane stunningly split with Luthi in late January before also announcing Becker’s departure in early February.
Then, Rune brought back Patrick Mouratoglou to his team – only for them to go their separate ways in July. After that move, the 2022 Paris Masters champion turned to former Danish star Kenneth Carlsen and has made four semifinals since.
“As I said, it’s great to be back with the people that I really trust and has been with me for all my life. It feels good. We’re working well day in and day out. We all know each other very well. So it feels good. I feel like I’m building my game and getting — you know, actually, I don’t like the words saying ‘back to the level I had,’ but we are improving. I think I’m playing better and better, moving better and better. I think it’s good. You know, I’m playing some good tennis when it matters the most on court,” Rune explained.
Also, the former world No. 4 insisted to reporters that he was giving his best every single day to get better.
“Yeah, I mean, you know, I’m obviously working very, very hard every day to play better with my team, you know, trusting the things that we’re working on. Just, you know, pushing the limits really every day, like 1% better. I think, to answer your question, it’s not really changed the way my approach is, but it’s definitely very professional, very serious, and we are having good fun, as well. It’s just a constant progress,” he claimed.
Meanwhile, Rune was slated to play in Metz this week, where he was the No. 4 seed and had a first-round bye after the draw was released. But after his Paris exit, the Dane decided not to play in Metz.