"Why is he acting like an angsty teen" ; "Applaud his restraint" - Fans react to Holger Rune's mid-match interview during UTS

By EKOJA JOSEPH

Modified Dec 17, 2023 12:22 GMT

Holger Rune reaction to interview during UTS

Tennis fans on the internet have reacted to Holger Rune's mid-match interview during his Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) match against Alexander Bublik in London.

UTS is an international individual tennis league founded by ex-Serena Williams coach Patrick Mouratoglou and businessman Alex Popyrin, father of player Alexei Popyrin, in 2020.

On Saturday (16 December), Holger Rune and Alexander Bublik faced off in the first match of Day 2 of the 2023 edition of the tournament. Holger Rune won 15-11, 12-18, 12-19, 15-14, 2-1 and is now set to face Andrey Rublev in the final four.

During a mid-match interview, Rune was asked if he enjoyed the tournament's format. Unhappy, he replied frankly.

“I don't enjoy it,” Rune said. “It is still tennis but it's wierd”

When the interviewer continued to ask the Dane why he did not enjoy the format, Rune became visibly angry, dismissing the reporter.

“That's a stupid question,” he said.

A clip of the interview has made the rounds on social media, with many fans responding to Rune's attitude.

A fan on X (formerly Twitter) wondered why Rune was acting like a moody teen in an exhibition he willingly joined, aware of the format and earning a substantial amount.

“Wait why is he acting like an angsty teen it’s literally an exhibition that u signed up for knowing the format & getting thousands from plz now,” they wrote..

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Another fan on Reddit agreed with Rune.

“It is weird”. That’s just the truth. I applaud his restraint,” the fan wrote.

Here are more reactions from fans on Reddit:

As per the rules, players in UTS must participate in on-court interviews between quarters to connect with fans emotionally. Unlike the ATP, UTS lacks a code of conduct. Matches follow timed quarters, and if tied, sudden death is played. The winner must secure two consecutive points, with a 15-second shot clock for serves and the option for one coaching timeout per set.

Holger Rune reached Two Masters 1000 finals and won the BMW Open during the 2023 season

Holger Rune is currently in London, participating in the Ultimate Tennis Showdown as part of his preparation for the 2024 season.

Having concluded the season as ATP's No. 8, he achieved a career-high ranking of No. 4 in August 2023. Rune secured his fourth ATP career title at the BMW Open in April, defeating Dutch tennis star Botic van de Zandschulp in the Munich final.

In the Monte Carlo Masters, the 20-year-old had an impressive run, defeating top players such as Dominic Thiem, Matteo Berrettini, Daniil Medvedev, and Jannik Sinner. However, Rune fell short in the final against Andrey Rublev.

Holger Rune had another outstanding run at the Rome Masters, defeating notable players like Arthur Fils, Fabio Fognini, Alexei Popyrin, Novak Djokovic, and Casper Ruud before losing the final to Daniil Medvedev.

Rune reached the Australian Open Round of 16 for the first time, but he faced a 5-set defeat in a thrilling match against Russian star Andrey Rublev.

The Dane reached the French Open quarterfinals, losing to Casper Ruud in four sets. During the grass season, Rune performed well at Wimbledon but was defeated by eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals.

At the US Open, Rune faced a surprising exit in the first round, losing to Roberto Carballes Baena, ranked No. 64 on the ATP rankings at the time.

In the ATP Finals group stage, he secured a victory against Stefanos Tsitsipas but suffered losses to Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner, failing to qualify for the Semi-final.

Edited by Siddharth Dhananjay