Holger Rune sets his sights on dethroning Novak Djokovic: "My choice would be the 2024 Australian Open final"

Holger Rune has set his sights on a duel with Novak Djokovic in the final of the 2024 Australian Open.

Rune made his Melbourne debut in 2022 but had to wait for his first win until the 2023 edition. His campaign ended with a fourth-round loss to Andrey Rublev, where he failed to capitalize on two match points and lost in five sets.

The Dane has made three Grand Slam quarterfinals so far in his young career — the French Open (2022, 2023) and the Wimbledon Championships (2023). However, a hardcourt Grand Slam quarterfinal has eluded him.

Despite his relative inexperience in the deeper stages of the Australian Open, Holger Rune recently stated that he is willing to chase the near-impossible goal of defeating ten-time champion Novak Djokovic in the final.

“Now I want to have great results on outdoor hard ground,” Rune told Bola Amarela when asked about a victory he fancies in 2024.

“I've done very well on clay, grass and indoor hard courts, so now it's time to show off my outdoor hardcourt tennis. That's why my choice would be the Australian Open final against Novak,” the 2022 Paris Masters champion added.

Novak Djokovic has a perfect win record in the Australian Open finals, having won a record-breaking ten title clashes so far.

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"I accept that as a huge compliment" – Holger Rune on Novak Djokovic drawing parallels between their on-court prowess

The Dane and the Serb at the 2023 ATP Finals

Holger Rune and Novak Djokovic have faced off five times in their careers so far. The Dane secured wins in the final of the 2022 Paris Masters and the quarterfinal of the 2023 Rome Masters.

The Serb prevailed in their 2021 US Open first-round meeting, as well as in their most recent matches in the quarterfinal of the 2023 Paris Masters and the round-robin stage of the ATP Finals.

While Djokovic leads 3-2 in their head-to-head record, Rune has given the 24-time Grand Slam champion a run for his money in each of their clashes. Djokovic has also frequently compared the 20-year-old’s on-court prowess to his own.

“I accept that as a huge compliment. I mean… Novak managed to achieve everything we dreamed of,” he said in the same interview.

Holger Rune also spoke about how he managed to deliver on the big stages. He said that the lively atmosphere and the fans’ genuine interest in tennis influenced his on-court performance.

“It’s true. I feel very good on the biggest stages. Is different. The atmosphere is incredible,” Rune said.

“Maybe because I'm very passionate about my tennis, it feels even better to be surrounded by lots of people who are excited to see great tennis. Bring anything extra,” he added.

Holger Rune dealt with a few setbacks during his 2023 campaign, but the Dane largely managed to make his mark on the tour. He featured in two Grand Slam quarterfinals – at the French Open and Wimbledon, appeared in two Masters 1000s finals in Monte-Carlo and Rome, and won the BMW Open in Munich for the second time in his career.