20-year-old Danish tennis player Holger Rune is ranked No. 7 in the world.
Today he served notice that he is a formidable opponent for all of his peers.
Rune defeated No. 1 Novak Djokovic, the 6-time Italian Open champion, in the quarterfinals.
HE DID IT 💥 Holger Rune pulls off a huge upset!
Upsets world No.1 and 6x Rome champ Novak Djokovic 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 to secure a place in #IBI23 SFs.
Exceptional level from Rune to beat one of his idols again… 🤯 pic.twitter.com/hpSkXZ7MTr
— Holger Rune News (@running_rune) May 17, 2023
The Recipe For Rune’s Success
Rune did two things very well in the match.
First, he kept his composure, especially in the second set which he ultimately lost.
Second, he played clean tennis, something that Djokovic did not do which is very uncharacteristic of him.
Rune had only 15 unforced errors in the match compared to Djokovic’s 35 unforced errors.
The Uncertainty In Men’s Tennis Is Fun
For years, we have come to rely on the Big 3 to win most of the tournaments.
With Roger Federer retired, and Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic both in their mid-30s and dealing with the injuries associated with being an older player in the sport, we no longer know what to expect at these tournaments.
The younger generation is coming, and Holger Rune is one of those players charging ahead.
Rune has made it clear that he wants to win a Grand Slam.
He has already played the spoiler in Rome by defeating the Italian favorite Fabio Fognini.
After that match, Rune told The Tennis Channel that his game is improving.
“Here in Rome I feel good, my level is improving more and more and I can say that I am improving match after match.”
With this victory over Djokovic, his confidence has to be soaring.
Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev have both won Grand Slams.
Could Rune, Janik Sinner, or another young star capture Roland Garros in a few weeks?
Has the changing of the guard begun?
Novak Djokovic’s Health
Djokovic wore long sleeves under his traditional tennis shirt on the court in Rome.
That could be attributed to the wet and less-than-ideal weather during the tournament, or it could be an indication that there are lingering issues with the elbow.
I don't know if it's elbow injury or father time catching him up, but Djokovic looks quite beatable since Aussie Open. He struggled similarly last year but turned things around at Rome. Not this time.
— H.Y. (@itnw0628) May 17, 2023
Djokovic also had a medical timeout during the match where the physio gave him a tablet.
It is unclear what issues he was dealing with during the match, but he definitely did not play up to his usual high level.
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