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Boris Becker made his debut in Holger Rune's player box as his new coach and cheered the Dane on to an emphatic comeback victory at the Swiss Indoors Basel.
Rune recently parted ways with Patrick Mouratoglou and longtime coach Lars Christensen. The Dane's team confirmed last week that they had hired Becker, the six-time Grand Slam champion, as his new coach.
Becker's return to the tour as coach resumed on an encouraging note as Rune defeated Miomir Kecmanovic, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 in the first round on Tuesday, October 24. The top seed rallied from a set and a break down to win an intense encounter that lasted two hours and two minutes.
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Boris Becker's presence in the player box seemed to have added fuel to Rune's determined comeback. After the match, the Dane emphasized the team's role in the victory on social media.
"Teamwork," Rune wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Holger Rune's win on Tuesday marked just the second victory in his last nine matches. He has had a rough spell on tour after Wimbledon. However, with the introduction of the experienced coach, the Dane will be hopeful of turning things around and earning a place in the ATP Finals with a strong finish in Basel.
"Holger Rune is a rough diamond that needs polishing" - coach Boris Becker
Boris Becker recently stated that Holger Rune is a 'rough diamond' that has the potential to shine with proper polishing. He expressed his fondness for the Dane who shows commitment and temperament on the court.
In an interview with Eurosport, the German heaped praise on Rune and even drew similarities between the Dane and his former apprentice Novak Djokovic.
"Holger [Rune] is a rough diamond that needs polishing. I like his emotional outbursts. I have coached a player before, Novak Djokovic, who was sometimes not quite himself on the court, but that is allowed," Boris Becker said.
"I have always been interested in Holger because he is on the tennis court with so much commitment and temperament."
Becker further stated that his love for the sport made him accept Rune's offer to be his coach. He said:
"I love tennis and when one of the best 20-year-olds in the world asks me if I'd like to coach him... anyone who says no doesn't have much to do with the sport."
Holger Rune will face Sebastian Baez in the second round of the Swiss Indoors on Thursday, which will be their third meeting on the tour. The spoils are shared after their previous two encounters as the head-to-head stands at 1-1.
