"I cannot say the word, it starts with s & an h" - Holger Rune tells the truth about his pickle juice experience at Australian Open

Holger Rune didn't like the taste of the pickle juice he had during his dramatic win in the third round of the 2025 Australian Open. The Dane beat Miomir Kecmanovic 6-7 (5), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in an epic clash at the Melbourne Park.

Rune lost the opening set in a tiebreak after taking an early 3-2 lead before striking back in the next with his impressive forehand game. The World No.13 double-faulted in the third set to hand the lead to Serbian, and was on the brink of elimination in the fourth set, trailing 4-2.

However, he broke back with a stunning backhand and won four consecutive games. The 21-year-old sealed the comeback with a crosscourt forehand winner to set up a fourth-round clash against World No. 1 Jannik Sinner.

Rune struggled with cramps during the contest and had a bottle of Extra Strength Pickle Juice Shot when the physio attended him. However, the former World No.1 didn't like its taste and seemingly suggested it tasted 's**t'. However, he said he didn't want to say bad words about it.

"I cannot say the word. It starts with S and then an H. We don't wanna say bad words but yeah I had a couple of pickle juice and I'm not gonna hide it, I was really feeling it today, you know I had the good pickle juice. I actually think it's Australian so it's a nice invasion," Holger Rune said in the post-match interview [1:40 onwards]

The 21-year-old played Zhang Zhizhen in the opening round and won the match with a similar scoreline, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. He took on Italy's Matteo Berrettini in the second round and secured his victory in four sets.

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Holger Rune vs Jannik Sinner head-to-head record

Holger Rune and Jannik Sinner in action at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters - (Source: Getty)

While Jannik Sinner will be the pre-match favorite against Holger Rune in the fourth round on Monday, January 20, the match is expected to deliver fireworks nonetheless and could define the outcome of the latter stages of the Melbourne major.

Sinner and Runne have faced each other four times so far with each of them winning two contests. The Dane beat the defending Australian Open champion in their first two matches in the semifinals of the 2022 Sofia Open and 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters.

Sinner avenged those losses in the 2023 ATP Finals and the 2024 quarterfinals of the Monte-Carlo Masters.