Holger Rune has built an impressively polished all-court game before his 20th birthday. He’s equally strong on his forehand and backhand, with no apparent shortcomings in power or speed, great touch and a highly competitive attitude.
A quick look at his game and one might jump to the conclusion that the teenager from Denmark has no weakness. But those who have chronicled his young career know a rather unusual issue has delayed Rune’s progress.
Cramping.
Rune developed a reputation for being cramp-prone from the time he was playing Challengers, and eventually, the problem surfaced under the sport’s brightest lights in what was, at the time, the biggest match of Holger’s young career.
With Novak Djokovic going for the calendar Grand Slam at the 2021 US Open, Rune ignited a rowdy crowd with a 2nd-set tiebreak victory. But it was clear by late in the 3rd set that Rune’s legs wouldn’t allow a stunning upset. He was cramping by the hour-40 mark. His 1st serve speeds in the 4th and final set averaged under 100 miles per hour. Djokovic won it 6-1.
At that time, it was natural to wonder if cramps of all things were going to hold back Holger Rune’s career? Over a year later, we reflect and re-visit that question.
Written & Narrated by ‪@GillGross‬
Subscribe: tinyurl.com/BaselineTennis | 🔔Make sure to enable all push notifications!🔔
Watch our most recent videos: • Most Recent | Baseline...
Watch our most popular videos: • Most Recent | Baseline...
About Baseline Tennis:
Baseline Tennis adds colour and context to the stories behind the game - both familiar and lesser-known.
Standing apart from the maelstrom of the 24/7 news cycle, Baseline Tennis provides informative, engaging and intelligent content on the past, present and future of the game, focusing on the stories that matter.
Our videos combine 3D imagery, motion graphics, archive footage, graphical illustrations and sound, to create rich and vivid storytelling, bringing the viewer immersive profiles of players, tournaments, key moments from history, the skills of the game and major discussion points.
It's tennis. But viewed differently.
#holgerrune #atp #tennis