Holger Rune

Holger Rune – The Fiery Tennis Pro from Denmark

Holger Vitus Nødskov Rune – his full name – is one of the most talented players Danish men's tennis has ever produced. At the tender age of just 15, he shook up the Danish tennis elite, becoming the youngest player ever to win the Danish championship. The 188cm right-hander was born on April 29, 2003 in the small town of Gentofte, a suburb of the capital, Copenhagen.

When young Holger was six years old, he began to emulate his older sister Alma, who was already playing tennis quite successfully at the time and had similarly ambitious goals. These days, however, Alma has hung up her tennis shoes and works as a model, when she's not in the box cheering her brother on at the French Open or other tournaments.

Stability Around Him

It was clear early on that Holger Rune had a serious amount of talent. Ever since his first steps on a tennis court, his mother Aneke, a successful entrepreneur, has followed her son's development every step of the way, and still sits in his box today whenever Holger is about to win his next title. The lanky Dane has been guided by the same coach for just as long: Coach Lars Christensen has been with Holger Rune from his very first strokes, through his entire junior career, right up to his professional debut and breakthrough.

This stability around him gave the young Dane the support he needed to develop and eventually step onto tennis's biggest stage with real self-confidence. Accordingly, Holger Rune considers his mother and coach his greatest inspiration, while his biggest idols as a teenager were Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. When Rune got to be a hitting partner for both Roger and Rafa at the 2019 Nitto ATP Finals, a childhood dream came true for the then just 16-year-old.

A Successful Junior Player

When Holger Rune was 13, he was drawn to the legendary Mouratoglou Tennis Academy on the French Riviera to train in a more competitive environment against stronger opponents. And the successes weren't long in coming. In 2017, the James Bond fan became U14 European champion.

Two years later, Holger Rune triumphed at the junior edition of the French Open, becoming only the fourth Dane ever to win one of the four most important tennis tournaments in the world. That same year, he also won the junior ATP Finals and, fittingly, finished the season ranked No. 1 in the junior rankings.

Playing Style: An Aggressive Baseliner with a Flair for the Spectacular

Even as a young player, Holger Rune stood out for preferring to win points himself rather than waiting for his opponent's mistakes. That mindset hasn't changed to this day. Where most baseline players, especially at a young age, tend to play defensively, Rune likes to take risks, which regularly leads to spectacular rallies. Wherever possible, he comes to the net and tries to finish points with a direct winner. His best shot is the forehand, especially the inside-out forehand, which tennis legend Mats Wilander has called perfect.

As a result, Holger Rune's game leans heavily on the forehand, even though his two-handed backhand is increasingly becoming a sharp weapon too. Hit down the line in particular, it comes through hard and flat, strongly reminiscent of the backhands of the great Swedish players of the 1970s and '80s. Physically, Holger Rune used to often be at a disadvantage against his opponents, something that showed especially in longer matches. If a match went to a third set, the teenager was often plagued by cramps and ended up on the losing side.

Over time, however, Holger Rune managed to make up for this deficit, and today he's one of the fittest players on tour.

Professional Debut and Breakthrough on the ATP Tour

As early as 2018, while still competing on the junior tour, Holger Rune made his debut for his country in the Davis Cup. In the tie against Egypt, he won his very first singles match straight away. From 2019 onward, Rune began playing more and more Futures and Challenger events on the ITF Tour, where he claimed a total of five titles and steadily climbed the rankings as a result. Since 2021, Holger Rune has mainly competed on the ATP Tour, where strong performances allowed him to qualify for the US Open in his very first year. In the first round against Novak Djokovic, Rune even managed to win a set.

Thanks to his consistent performances, Holger Rune steadily improved in the ATP rankings and, in early 2022, cracked the world's top 100 for the first time. At the Australian Open, as had happened before at Flushing Meadows, his run once again ended in the first round, though this time he at least managed to take two sets. Things went far better for him at the French Open, his favorite tournament, where his run only ended in the quarterfinal against eventual finalist Casper Ruud.

First ATP Title

Shortly before the 2022 French Open, Holger Rune won his first ATP title: at the tournament in Munich, also played on his favorite surface of clay, Rune reached the final, beating Alexander Zverev in the round of 16 along the way, and won the title without dropping a single set. This made him the first wildcard entrant ever to triumph in Munich. Thanks to this success, Holger Rune cracked the world's top 50 for the first time in his career.

Holger Rune Tennis Products at Tennis-Point

If you want to kit yourself out like the spectacular tennis pro from Denmark, you've come to exactly the right place at Tennis-Point. In our online tennis shop, you'll find the outfits, rackets, and much more that Holger Rune uses to compete so successfully on tennis courts around the world.

When it comes to his outfits, Holger Rune makes no compromises and dresses head to toe in Nike. Whether it's tennis shoes and socks, shorts and shirts, wristbands or caps: Rune only steps onto the court in Nike tennis apparel. As for rackets, strings, and grip tape, Holger Rune places his full trust in the expertise of the traditional French brand Babolat, whose products have already helped countless pros win even more titles. His entire tennis kit is safely stowed away in a Babolat tennis bag, which more than lives up to the high demands of a tennis professional.

Go ahead and order your new Holger Rune tennis gear today! From time to time, selected products are on sale with us, so with a bit of luck you might snag a bargain or two. Now we wish you lots of fun choosing your gear and lots of success on the tennis court with your new Holger Rune tennis products!