“I played great tennis and still lost, shows how good Novak Djokovic is” - Holger Rune on ATP Finals loss to Serb

In a recent press conference at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, young tennis star Holger Rune reflected on his challenging match against Novak Djokovic. Having lost to the Serb despite playing well, Rune acknowledged Djokovic's exceptional skills:

"I feel like against many players out there you can hit a great shot and you can be in a good position. Against him, you hit a great shot, it comes deep back"

During the ATP Finals, Holger Rune faced a challenging match against Novak Djokovic in the opening round of the year-end championships. Djokovic, a seasoned player known for his skill and determination, won the match in three sets, 7-6(4), 6-7(1), 6-3.

This victory was not just another win for Djokovic - it marked his 19th consecutive win at the tour level and his 400th week as World No. 1, securing Djokovic's place as the ATP Year-End No. 1 for a record eighth time.

Holger Rune reflected on his experience during the on-court interview after Tsitsipas' retirement. According to Enrico Maria Riva on X (formerly Twitter), Rune said:

“I never lost a match when I played good tennis and I played great tennis with Novak and still lost. That shows how good Djokovic is”

Holger Rune played against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the next match. However, Tsitsipas was troubled by a back issue and retired after three games, leading to Rune's win by default. Tsitsipas expressed his disappointment at not being able to finish the match and the tournament.

Tsitsipas mentioned that despite getting the green light from his doctors, he felt terrible on the court and couldn't continue. The crowd's reaction to his departure was mixed, with some jeers heard from the audience.

During the press conference, Rune displayed admiration for Tsitsipas's skill despite the unfortunate early end to their match:

"I saved two break points in the first game, so it actually started off very, very tough"

Holger Rune also shared insights on playing against Jannik Sinner. While avoiding to pinpoint Sinner's weaknesses, Rune acknowledged the Italian's strengths:

"I think he has so many strengths that it protects his weakness"

Reflecting on the significance of the ATP Finals, Rune expressed his views on the tournament's importance compared to Grand Slams:

"I think the Nitto ATP Finals is the biggest ATP event we have. But for me, Grand Slams is, yeah, the biggest thing we have in tennis"

Holger Rune secures first ATP Finals victory as Stefanos Tsitsipas withdraws due to injury

Holger Rune (L) and Stefanos Tsitsipas at the ATP Finals 2023

Holger Rune secured his first victory at the 2023 Nitto ATP Finals in Turin after his opponent Stefanos Tsitsipas withdrew due to an injury. The match, part of the Green Group stage, saw Rune leading 2-1 before Tsitsipas called for a medical timeout and eventually decided to retire. Rune's victory at the ATP Finals has balanced his Green Group performance to 1-1, keeping his hopes alive in the tournament.

In the post-match press conference, Tsitsipas apologized to the fans for not being able to complete the match. Holger Rune expressed his thoughts, saying:

"For sure it was very unfortunate. Even in the first service game you could see he wasn't serving anywhere near full like he can, I knew something was off."

With Tsitsipas's withdrawal, the first alternate Hubert Hurkacz took his place in the group. To compensate for the abrupt end to the match for the ticket holders, alternates Taylor Fritz and Hubert Hurkacz were called upon to play an exhibition match.

Earlier this year, Rune reached the quarter-finals at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon and claimed the title in Munich. He is scheduled to face Jannik Sinner in his final round-robin match.