ROLEX MONTE-CARLO MASTERS

April 16, 2023

Holger Rune

Press Conference

A. RUBLEV/H. Rune

5-7, 6-2, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. What is your feeling? You looked a little bit maybe tired at the end? Looked like you had the edge on the match?

HOLGER RUNE: Yeah, I obviously feel like it was a long match yesterday. We finished late. You know, I didn't have much time to recover.

It is what it is. I gave it all. Didn't have any more in me. I did what I could, and I was very close.

Q. I was wondering if you know the sentence "playing the cat with the mouse," because today, to me, looks like you were the cat, he was the mouse on the pitch, but sometimes when play too much with the mouse, you stay without dinner.

HOLGER RUNE: That's a very complicated way to see a tennis match, but honestly, I don't know how to answer that question.

Q. Just because you were 3-0 up in the third, chance for 5-1, looked like to me that you were more in control than him.

HOLGER RUNE: Yeah, okay, if you see that way, I was definitely in control in the third set and also I would say mostly in the first set as well. But again, didn't manage to close it out.

Disappointing, but again, it's part of tennis. Just got to see what I did wrong, what I can do better, and move on, because, you know, the most important tournament of the clay season is the French Open, so, you know, if I can prepare myself as best as possible for that one, that's what matters.

Q. You have a very special way of dealing with the crowds. Doesn't matter to you if the crowd is against or for you. Just like Daniil Medvedev a little bit. How do you view that relationship?

HOLGER RUNE: I don't see myself as Daniil Medvedev. I just think that when somebody is screaming while you're serving, it's not normal. That's why I either tell the umpire that if she can say something to the crowd, and if she doesn't, I will do it myself.

It's just all about respect. You know, it's important to respect people. I respect people. They have to respect me. That's all.

Q. Do you think to be favorite sometimes doesn't help at the beginning of a final? Because everybody almost thought that you were going to be the favorite after yesterday. Also, about the crowd and the way you deal with them, aren't you worried what could happen in Rome if you had to play an Italian player and you would react as genuinely as you usually react? Because it's nice to watch you the way you are, but sometimes the crowd doesn't understand.

HOLGER RUNE: That's a good question. Like if you actually heard, you know, the noise when I beat Jannik yesterday, and I would say maybe yesterday 90% of the audience were Italian, I think, and they were going crazy, you know, after I won the match.

Obviously they were for Jannik. He's a great player. It's normal, you know, like no matter where you're from or how you play, it's going to be for the home player. But again, I mean, I managed to do it, so I hope to manage to do it again in Rome if I play him (smiling).