STEPHANIE LIVAUDAIS: At 21 years old, Holger Rune is way too young for tennis experts to already be making that declaration about him. Sure, he has yet to fully live up to the prodigy status that he was tipped for a few years ago—but maybe it’s those high expectations that are distorting the current view. But let’s keep things in perspective: Rune is only 21, the same age as Carlos Alcaraz and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. He’s only a year younger than the promising Jack Draper, and one year older than fast-rising Arthur Fils. The Dane is in good company, and still has plenty of time to figure things out.
Instead of a make-or-break season, hopefully 2025 becomes the year when Rune makes concrete changes. He’s admitted that he hasn’t always “put the right work in” when it comes to training, but he’s already showing improvement after reuniting with Christensen. With the right team around him and with the right mindset, Rune can find the explosive, world-beating tennis that excited fans in the first place.
