Holger Rune saw not playing tennis as a punishment: Dane's mother Aneke sheds light on his evolving approach to the sport

Holger Rune's mother, Aneke, recently disclosed that when the Dane was younger, he perceived not playing tennis as a form of punishment. Furthermore, she provided insights into his evolving attitude towards the sport.

Aneke Rune, who also happens to be her son's manager, has consistently been by his side in the player box. Recently, she made an appearance on the ATP Tennis Radio Podcast, where she talked about Rune's past specifically how he used to perceive any suggestion of taking time off from tennis as a form of punishment.

"When he was younger, when he needed a day off from tennis, we said, 'No, no, you can’t have Saturday or Sunday; we need to take off,' and he said, 'But what did I do wrong?' And it was like, 'But you did nothing wrong, but you also need to do other things.' He saw it as kind of a punishment for not being able to go to the club and play tennis," she said.

She mentioned that Holger Rune has undergone a significant change since then. He now comprehends the importance of giving his body adequate rest and is content with taking a day or two off.

"Later on, he now feels in his body that it is so much more demanding, so he really enjoys some days off here and there. So now it’s much easier to make him understand that days off are really good," Aneke said.

Aneke further discussed the 20-year-old's relentless pursuit of perfection. She emphasized his strong determination and constant desire to improve.

"Holger has always been like, if a match wasn’t good enough or something, he wants to go down on the court and make the stuff right that he didn’t like. So he has a good drive, and I’m often the one that says, 'But it’s actually good enough now, so it looks good,' and then I film him so he can see that it is actually very good what he’s doing, and he is like, 'Okay, okay, okay,'" she added.

"Definitely good to have someone who has tried it himself" - Holger Rune on practicing with Boris Becker amid potential partnership rumors

Holger Rune speaking at a press conference

Holger Rune has recently revealed how he feels about practicing with tennis legend Boris Becker, amidst the ongoing rumors of a potential partnership between the two.

Rune was previously coached by Serena Williams' former coach Patrick Mouratoglou for a span of nine months. However, their partnership came to an abrupt end after the Dane's unexpected elimination in the first round of the 2023 US Open.

The duo had a remarkable partnership, resulting in significant success. Last year, Holger Rune clinched his inaugural ATP Masters 1000 title at the Paris Masters, while also reaching a career-best ranking of World No. 4, under the guidance of the Frenchman.

Since Patrick Mouratoglou's departure, the former World No. 4 has been plagued by a string of injuries, leading to underwhelming performances at the Canadian Open, Cincinnati Masters, China Open, Shanghai Masters, Stockholm Open and more.

However, events took a dramatic turn when Holger Rune took to social media to share a photo of himself practicing alongside German tennis legend, Boris Becker in Monaco. This unexpected development sparked speculation among fans, who began to wonder if the six-time Grand Slam champion could potentially become his next coach.

"Great practice week in Monaco 🙌🏽 💪🏽 ," Rune captioned his Instagram post.

While no official confirmation has been made by either party, Holger Rune recently spoke with TV 2 Sport about spending time with such a high-profile tennis player. Rune expressed his appreciation for having someone of Boris Becker's caliber around as the German understands his mentality since he used to be a tennis player too and had been in similar situations himself.

"You can feel it. That's really a big difference. He can feel what I'm feeling. He can't just say what he thinks I'm feeling, but he can feel it because he's been in those situations himself. So it's a different sensation and feeling. It is definitely a good thing to have someone who has tried it himself," he said.