Top tennis analyst Alex Corretja has warned fearless Holger Rune should not be taken for granted at the year-end ATP Finals ahead of his opening match against Novak Djokovic. At Turin, Rune is playing the year-end Championships as the lowest-rank player in the draw but Corretja has full trust in the ability of Rune and his new coach Boris Becker.
The former World No. 2 also believes tennis legend Boris Becker will influence Rune’s game greatly given his experience as an accomplished player with multiple Grand Slams conqueror.
The Dane will kick off his campaign at the 2023 ATP Finals in Turin against the 24-time major winner and defending champion Djokovic on Sunday night. The other two players in the green group include Stefanos Tsitsipas and Jannik Sinner.
Becker who himself is a 3-time ATP Finals champion joined Rune’s camp last month as his new coach after the 20-year-old split with Patrick Mouratoglou. The former World No. 1 has previously worked with Djokovic and helped him won six singles major titles and 14 ATP Masters 1000 titles from 2013 to 2016.
Since German’s arrival, Rune has bounced back to recover from a difficult run as he reached the semifinals at the Basel Open and quarterfinals of the Paris Masters last week where he lost to Djokovic – the eventual champion – in a three set battle. Talking to Eurosport, the 2-time French Open finalist, Corretja analyzed what the Becker will do to hone the skill and mental of Rune and declared that their partnership will bring fruit.
“You know why? Because Holger feels like a big star. I think you need to have someone next to you that gives you the feeling that he knows what you feel. And Boris Becker, for sure, he feels that way, too. I mean, he was a superstar. He’s still a superstar,” said the Spaniard.
“I think when Holger talks about his expectations of winning Majors or becoming No 1 or whatever, if he has Boris Becker next to him, who he’s been there, he’s been the best, and he’s been also a huge and great coach.
“He’s understanding him and he’s not going to look at him as if he is being cocky or arrogant. No, he’s looking at him and answers: ‘Yes, we can do that, and I’m going to help you to do that.’ And the start of the relationship has been great. It’s been great because you don’t need to win right away, like every match you play.
“I think it’s good when you lose one of the matches also to understand that the process needs a little bit of time and the ideas and the mentality that he’s trying to bring will need a little bit of time to assimilate. This is the best.
“When it takes a little bit of time, it costs you and you appreciate it more. So I think the Rune-Becker combination, it’s an absolute bomb and it’s absolutely great for both of them.”
The Spaniard also suggested that Rune’s motivation and the positive mindset under the new tutelage of Becker could be of help in Turin.
“I think among all the players in the field, I think Rune might be the one that feels more, let’s say, enthusiastic or more motivated or more happy that the ATP Finals is coming,” assessed Corretja.
“I think he’s a little bit refreshed. He’s had tough moments during the year with some injuries. It wasn’t good. The summer time he struggled a little bit and then he found this combination with Boris. So you see him again, he’s healthy and he’s fresh.
“And for sure, every practice he goes to, he’s got Boris Becker next to him telling him things that are new for him. And this is something that I think might give him an extra feeling of power.
“Don’t underestimate Holger because he’s fearless. He doesn’t care about playing Djokovic in the first round. He’s going to go there thinking that he can do well. That doesn’t mean that he’s going to win the tournament, but that means that he’s got so much confidence in himself.”