THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 5, 2023

Holger Rune

Press Conference

H. RUNE/G. Loffhagen

7-6, 6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Welcome to the press conference for Holger Rune.

Holger, good win for you today. How was the match?

HOLGER RUNE: It was a good match. Nice to be finished finally. It was a tough first set. I had to adjust on how he was playing. Maybe in a way was a bit of my luck that the rain came so I could adjust few things on my game. Came back very strong.

I'm happy to finish in a good style today with some good tennis and plenty of things to build on.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How did you spend the time during the rain delays?

HOLGER RUNE: Yesterday was actually quite easy because I kind of knew it was going to rain the whole day. I just totally relaxed, didn't think too much about the match anymore.

But, yeah, today was a bit weird in the beginning because there was supposed to be no rain, then it start raining. It was a little bit frustrating at the end.

I just told myself it is what it is. Spent some time with my mom and my team, tried to get the head a little bit off the match. Relax, play maybe some cards, whatever.

Q. How do you relax during a rain delay? Anything else?

HOLGER RUNE: Yeah, obviously yesterday was a really long day. Yeah, just talk about different things. Just, yeah, try not to think too much about the match. When it's so long time, if you think, if you stay in the match with your mindset, it's very draining.

As soon as I knew we're not going to play the next 20 minutes or so, I just try to get my mind on something else, just relax. That's very important.

Q. When did you first decide to wear a backwards cap? What players, if any, did you model that fashion after?

HOLGER RUNE: I don't know if you remember, but when I played my second ATP in Chile, in Santiago, I had some things in the hair. I didn't really like the style myself.

After that I found it, like, comfortable and nice to wear something. I thought I looked cool with the backwards hat. I enjoy to have something on my head. I tried to play without, but then I sweat a lot, so it gets in my eyes and stuff like this.

Yeah, maybe next thing would be a banana. Who knows. Don't laugh (laughter).

Q. How many other players do you think are on the tour who also wear backwards caps and how would you describe the style to other people?

HOLGER RUNE: I mean, there's a lot of players actually with backwards hat. There's Berrettini. Yeah, I cannot name everybody. There are many actually. Also Rafa practices with backwards hat. Novak sometimes.

I think it's a cool style. Now it just a part of how I look on the court. I don't really think about it any more. Yeah, I feel comfortable in the way I'm dressed on the court. That's very important.

Q. Novak, you seem to be a bit of his nemesis. Can you tell us why you are so successful against him and can beat him?

HOLGER RUNE: Yeah, there's a big mountain to climb before that could possibly happen.

Yeah, I said it before, like in a way he's the toughest player to play but also the easiest player to play because you know you have to play your best tennis. In a way you're not hoping for him to miss or for him to give you anything.

For my mindset it's very simple. I go in there to play to win every point. If I don't do that, I have no chance. If I do that and miss, okay, I'm still going to lose, but that's my only chance.

In my mindset, it's simple what I have to do. I think that's something I also could learn to bring to other matches. Against players in his level, it's something you have to do because they are so good.

Q. You're quite animated. Some other matches are quite flat. Might you be the man to bring some character to this tournament?

HOLGER RUNE: Yeah, I don't know. We'll see. There is one guy I know that made finals last year that has plenty of attitude, for sure.

Yeah, it's obviously a very traditional tournament. Again, I think many players that have been doing well in this tournament is very passionate on the court. I don't think I'm the only one.

But, yeah, I think everybody's different. Everybody do their things different. It's just about being (indiscernible) yourself because that's where you can prevail your best tennis.

Q. If there's one thing you could change about tennis, what would that be?

HOLGER RUNE: No-ad scoring at 40 all.

Q. Why?

HOLGER RUNE: To make it, like, more interesting for the fans I think. There's more exciting points. Also it will shorten the matches, which is also better for the fans. Make it more, like, intense.

Q. You were asked about Novak before. What is the one thing that makes him so hard to play against?

HOLGER RUNE: His mindset. When you play him, even though you play some good points, it feels like it doesn't hurt him at all. He's just there on every point playing often his best tennis on every point, giving full effort. It maybe sounds easy to put full effort into every point, but in the heat of the moment it's not. It's really admiring to see.