ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL

December 31, 2022

Holger Rune

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: An amazing 2022 season, ATP Newcomer of the Year, won three ATP Tour titles, capping off the season with an incredible week in Paris, where he won his first ATP Masters 1000 title, beating five top-10 players. Happy to have you here.

HOLGER RUNE: Thank you.

THE MODERATOR: Your thoughts on Adelaide.

HOLGER RUNE: Yeah, it's great to be here. It's my second time, and I'm super excited to start the season here. It's really hot and it's a nice play, so I just can't wait to start.

Q. I just checked the record books. You were No. 103 when you came here. Does 2022 feel surreal?

HOLGER RUNE: Yeah, it's happened a lot. I still remember when I was here one year ago, and to be here at different ranking, different everything, it feels great. It's been a great season. Obviously some ups and downs, as well, but all in all, I keep improving, keep believing, and I'm happy where I am right now. But still I want to continue to do better.

Q. Can you talk about Patrick Mouratoglou. Obviously he came on board with you in October. What has he brought to your game?

HOLGER RUNE: It's great to have him in my team. We have a lot of fun both on and off the court, and he's a really good coach. He's coming with a lot of good advices to me, both mentally, tennis, everything. He helps me a lot, and together with my whole team, with Lars, my mom and everybody, it's great to have him be a part of it.

Q. How long will Patrick be with you? I think it was until the end of this year initially.

HOLGER RUNE: Yeah, we extended, of course. No, it's great. He's still with me. He's here now in Adelaide, of course, so it's cool that we can share tournaments together.

Q. He'll be in Melbourne, as well?

HOLGER RUNE: Yeah.

Q. You'll face Nishioka; have you played him before?

HOLGER RUNE: Yeah, I've never played him before. It's going to be the first time, which is always tricky, and he's shown that he can play some good tennis. He's very talented. He's playing lefty. He's running well and stuff. It's going to be tough.

I'm excited. It's going to be great to play the first match of the season either tomorrow or Monday, so I'm excited and trying to focus on the things that I want to improve.

Q. Is there anything you do for New Year's Eve? How will you celebrate this evening?

HOLGER RUNE: Yeah, it depends a little bit if I play tomorrow or not. I'll have to check. But if not, I'll stay of course until midnight to say happy new year. If not, I've got to sleep early to be ready for tomorrow, but of course I'll have a nice dinner with my team tonight.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about Paris, please. Obviously six huge wins, really. How has that changed your self-belief?

HOLGER RUNE: A lot. I mean, those six wins was really incredible for me. Actually the tournament leading up to Paris, as well, gave me a lot of confidence. But to win against all of these guys at one tournament feels pretty special, because from the first match to the last, it was tough every match.

The first match I was this close to losing against Stan and managed to pull it through, and then in the final, very close one again, and it's great. It was probably the best feeling I ever had.

Q. Obviously this time a year ago you were largely unknown, but it's a different situation now; people know you. Do you think that will have an effect upon how opponents approach you? Will it make it more difficult for you?

HOLGER RUNE: Both in a good and a bad way, I guess, because of course you earn respect when you do well, but at the same time everybody wants to beat you. It makes it even tougher.

But I don't really think about it. I just think that it's great that I keep believing, working, improving, and that's really what I focus on.

Every other player on the tour and that plays here in Melbourne is good. That's why they're here. Every match is going to be tough, and I'm excited to go and take the challenge.

Q. I know you said previously that you have no time for the GOAT debate. Looking at the younger players, the newer players, who do you particularly admire among Carlos or Jannik, et cetera?

HOLGER RUNE: Yeah, I think what Carlos showed, especially at the US Open, is incredible. To be so young and win a Grand Slam, I think it's been -- it was Rafa who did it last at such a young age. It's incredible. The same with Jannik - he's two years older - and me and Alcaraz, but he's playing some very good tennis. We have Musetti, as well, who is I think 20-something in the world, and he's playing great, as well. It's really interesting, and it's nice to see that the young guys can play.

Q. Your targets for 2023, do you set targets?

HOLGER RUNE: I do. I do every year. Now it's to be No. 1. I went from 103 to 10, now 11, and it seemed quite impossible, but I believed in them.

Actually my goal was not to be top 10 this year but to be top 25. I beat that by quite a lot, and now obviously I have to do better than I did this year to be No. 1, but I'm really pumped and looking forward to it.

Q. And in Melbourne, obviously you'll try and win it, I guess. Do you feel you can?

HOLGER RUNE: I believe. It's going to be tough because a lot of other players want to win it, as well, but I believe, and most importantly, I'm going to take every match 100 percent seriously and be as focused as I can in every match because you don't want to play also like two long matches in the beginning if you want to go all the way because it's very physical to play five sets, and I played five Grand Slams in my life, so it's not that I'm so experienced compared to all the other guys, but I have the young fire inside me, so I'm really pumped for it.