"Looks much less fluid, less stable" - Former player Tim Mayotte identifies flaws in Holger Rune's technique, cites Nadal and Djokovic as examples

Holger Rune geared up for his opening match at the 2023 Miami Open with a strenuous practice session that caught the eye of former American tennis player Tim Mayotte.

Mayotte began his professional career in 1981 and won 12 titles over 11 years. His best results at Grand Slam tournaments came with semifinal finishes at Wimbledon and the Australian Open.

With the 2023 Miami Open qualifiers underway, Rune shared a video of himself hard at work in anticipation of his first match at the tournament.

"Putting in the work," he captioned the post.

Commenting on the clip that was reshared on Twitter, Mayotte opined that the Dane was exerting too much force in the video which was causing him to not move as smoothly as he should be. He compared Rune's technique to that of Rafael Nadal, who always looked more stable and fluid while doing similar drills.

"Call me crazy but he is working too hard here. Comparing it against video of Nadal doing similar drills, Rune looks much less fluid, less stable and not nearly as smooth," Mayotte opined.

A fan pointed out that exerting extra force may be the goal of the drill to which the 62-year-old replied that the Dane's technique lacked flow and core stability. He suggested that Rune should aim for the stability and balance exhibited by Novak Djokovic.

"Interesting point. I think there are many reasons to do this drill, but whatever he is working on lacks flow and core stability. Novak's stability and balance should be the goal. Players this young and explosive need to work to limit variables and connect shot to shot movement," Mayotte asserted.

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Holger Rune makes maiden appearance in Miami Open main draw

Holger Rune at the BNP Paribas Open

Holger Rune will be the seventh seed at the 2023 Miami Open. This will be his first appearance in the main draw of the ATP Masters 1000 event.

In 2022, the World No. 8 played the qualifiers of the tournament and faced Shintaro Mochizuki in his opening match. He lost the first set 1-6 and subsequently retired from the match due to injury.

Following his third-round defeat to Stan Wawrinka at the 2023 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Rune will be hoping to make a strong showing at the Miami Open to clinch his second ATP Masters 1000 title.

He will take on the winner of the match between Pedro Cachin and Marton Fucsovics, following a bye in the first round of the tournament.