Former Grand Slam doubles champion Frederik Nielsen has backed Holger Rune’s Choleric temperament before his fourth round matchup against Novak Djokovic.
Nielsen who clinched doubles Wimbledon title with Jonathan Marray in 2012 believes Rune’s intense on-court persona signals his hunger.
The Dane will take the 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic in a mouthwatering clash on Wimbledon Center Court. Rune overcame Soonwoo Kwon, Thiago Seyboth Wild, and Quentin Halys to secure his R16 berth for the second year in a row. He reached quarters last year.
The ATP #15 recovered from two sets to love down to escape an upset against #22 seed Halys in the R3. Rune maintains a 2-3 record against 7-time Wimbledon Champion Djokovic, having defeated the legendary Serbian at 2022 Paris Masters and in the quarterfinals of 2023 Italian Open. World #2 Djokovic stood victor in the last two meetings with the 21-year-old which came in last year’s November coming in Paris Masters and ATP Finals in Turin.
It will be their first meeting on grass. Nielsen who reached the career-high doubles rank of ATP #17 in 2013 supported the Danish compatriot Rune’s fiery behavior.
When I was that age, I was far worse than Rune is. The same was true for both my teammates and opponents,” Nielsen told SpilXperten.
“It might just look a bit more intense because there aren’t many like him, and because there’s a camera on him 24 hours a day. I never really thought it was that bad.
“He’s young, and to me, it’s just a signal of how much he wants it. He shouldn’t get rid of it completely, but he will probably figure out more and more when it is constructive and when it doesn’t help him as much.
“It’s hard to understand how much there constantly is. I’ve seen it when we’re at Davis Cup, where he can’t even warm up before a match.
“He can’t even be in the gym without some of the accredited people coming up to talk to him, and that’s from people who should understand the situation but still come and bother him.
“They pull and tug at him everywhere, so you have to ask them to give him some peace. [Rune’s mother] Aneke is also not someone who lets herself be pushed around. She fights those battles on her son’s behalf, and I think that’s really important for him.”