"Only fitting Boris Becker comes on board to train mini-Novak Djokovic" - Tennis fans react to German reportedly joining Holger Rune's coaching team

The news of Boris Becker taking Holger Rune under his wing and reportedly joining the Dane's coaching team has generated excitement among tennis fans.

Rune's partnership with Patrick Mouratoglou came to an end in September after nearly a year together. During this period, the Frenchman guided the 20-year-old to a career-best ranking of World No. 4 and his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title at the 2022 Paris Masters.

Following the Dane's shock opening round defeat to Brandon Nakashima at the 2023 Shanghai Masters, he was spotted training with Boris Becker in Monaco. The training session stirred speculation about a potential partnership between the 20-year-old and the six-time Grand Slam champion.

Subsequently, Sky Germany reported that Becker would be joining Holger Rune's coaching team. However, it was clarified that Lars Christensen would continue in his role as head coach. The report also indicated that the German was expected to be present in the Dane's box for select future tournaments.

Tennis fans received the news positively, with one fan endorsing the move as beneficial for Rune's future in the sport.

"I think this could be really good for Rune, which is all that matters in this move," the fan posted.

Another fan remarked that it was fitting for six-time Grand Slam champion to coach the "mini" Novak Djokovic, given their illustrious partnership from 2013 to 2016, during which the Serb claimed six Grand Slam titles.

"Only fitting Becker comes on board to train mini-djoko," the fan commented.

Screengrab from Reddit

Other users humorously suggested that Becker should refrain from passing on his serving tactics to Holger Rune, hilariously recalling Andre Agassi's ability to decipher the German's serve by observing the movements of his tongue.

"Just make sure his mouth stays closed on wide serves," one user posted.

"Agassi is always watching," another user chimed in.

Screengrab from Reddit

Here are a few more fan reactions:

Screengrab from Reddit

Screengrab from Reddit

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A brief look at Holger Rune and Novak Djokovic's head-to-head record

Novak Djokovic and Holger Rune

Holger Rune and Novak Djokovic have locked horns in three riveting tour-level clashes. They first squared off against each other in the opening round of the 2021 US Open, with the Serb claiming a 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-1 victory.

Over a year later, the Dane took on the 24-time Grand Slam champion in the 2022 Paris Masters final. The 20-year-old defeated Djokovic 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the title clash to claim his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title.

Holger Rune continued to impress in their rivalry by outplaying the Serb in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Italian Open, winning 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 and taking a 2-1 lead in his head-to-head against the World No. 1.