BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 11, 2024

Holger Rune

Press Conference

H. RUNE/L. Musetti

6-2, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations, Holger. Into the last 16. Great performance today. How would you rate your performance here?

HOLGER RUNE: Yeah, it was a good match. Started very strong, playing good, broke him early in the first set. I kept the level up. I was happy about that. You know, a few missed chances in the beginning of the second set again, but I'm happy I stayed composed and finished the match in two sets.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. That moment in the tiebreaker when you so quickly recovered from the missed overhead, how did you do that? How does that not stay with you?

HOLGER RUNE: Yeah, there is no time for it to stay with me, really, because then I lose the tiebreak.

You know, I tried to get over it as fast as possible, really. Of course it hurt a little bit (smiling), but, you know, it's a part of the game. Sometimes you miss shots you shouldn't miss; sometimes you make shots you shouldn't make.

You know, it's a part of the game. Obviously I'm going to practice a little overhead later today (smiling).

Yeah, but then I'm happy with the performance, happy on how I stayed composed and managed to stay disciplined and strong enough mentally in that tiebreak.

Q. Do you have a trick that makes you move on quickly from a mistake like that?

HOLGER RUNE: Yeah, I mean, as I said, it was annoying in the moment, but I just told myself, okay, this is one point, let's focus on the goal. The goal is not to be disappointed about this point, it's about, you know, the present and the future. You know, I can't do anything about it now anyways. Just focus on how I want to play the next point and how I want to develop my game into the future.

Q. Was it a case on that point that you just took your eye off the ball or the sun got in your eye? What happened specifically?

HOLGER RUNE: No excuse (smiling). No excuse. It was purely a bad miss from me. That's it. I can't really blame anything.

But yeah, it was a high one. I was thinking whether I should let it bounce or take it in the air. I think I let one bounce in the match which I also missed. So it's like okay, let's try to take it in the air. Normally I think I have very secure overheads so it was a bit surprising for me. But again, I'm happy on how I recovered from it.

Q. How desperate were you to get on court, considering you hadn't played a match and now you're in the fourth round?

HOLGER RUNE: It's great. I mean, it was great to get out there today. You know, I was very eager to play. It's been a lot of practice days. I was expecting obviously to play on Saturday, prepared everything to be ready for that. Unfortunately Milos, he couldn't play. So, you know, had two extra practice days, which was good.

Also, you know, as a competitive player, you want to play matches. So it was of course not the nicest way. Again, I just think, okay, then I'm a round further and I could focus maximum on getting ready for Monday. Yeah, watched a little bit of Musetti and Shapovalov when they played.

Q. There was a report last week that "Break Point" is probably not coming back for a third season. Wonder what you made of your experience, what you made of your episode, and maybe what makes tennis more difficult to cover in that format compared to F1 or golf?

HOLGER RUNE: Yeah, I did see the thing saying they wrote about it. I don't know. I think, you know, all promotions are good for the sport, you know. You know, I think it was nice to be part of, you know, was easy for us players, I would say. I can't speak on behalf of all the players, but I think, you know, as a player to have the camera in the back, could be disturbing but it was not. They were very discreet. That was nice.

Yeah, I mean, there is, you know, I think in general I liked mine. I think obviously there is a few things that, you know, you can also learn from by watching yourself from the outside, which is great also.

Yeah, it's cool. Again, it's a good promotion for players and for the sport.

Q. Holger, obviously there has been a lot of changes in your coaching. How has that been for you? Can you talk us through your thought process in terms of, you know, bringing on the people you brought on in October and then working through them in the first part of the year and now where you are back with Patrick?

HOLGER RUNE: Yeah, it's been a little bit of a chaos, to be honest, since after French Open last year. Yeah, you know, there have been a few changes, few different people over my career.

But yeah, honestly it's really the first time it happen to me. I was with Lars, my first childhood coach, for all my life until I was, yeah, until I was 20. So I'm still 20 (smiling).

Yeah, but so we stopped last year, and then I tried, you know, to find what fit the best to me and what I liked. Tried a few options, and I'm very happy on how I have things now. I see a good future with that. I also, you know, I know Patrick very well. We created great results together, and we're on a mission.

Q. Now that you're with Patrick now, have you made a commitment to yourself and for him to you that we're going to do this, say, for the rest of the season at least so that you are avoiding, or are you still taking it maybe, like, you'll change your mind in a month or two or something like that? Because that is the one thing you talked about, the stability, other players talk about the stability. I'm curious what you're thinking.

HOLGER RUNE: Yeah, it's difficult for me to answer that question. But I think, you know, as I said, I'm happy with how things are right now, and I think, you know, Patrick, you know, was the right fit for me, was probably always the always the right fit for me, and, you know, I know him since many years, as well, from the academy when I was young. He worked together with Lars, they learned things from each other, as well.

It was not, like, you know, it was not like if somebody completely new came in from the side, it's more difficult that way. With Patrick, it was, first was together with Lars, then was him alone, and now it's him alone again. It feels very secure for me, and at the same time we are improving, we're getting out of comfort zone, in the matches we are trying to improve the things that needed to be improved.

Most of all I'm happy to have stability. I believe in this, and, you know, even though that I might be called the guy chasing the coach over the past half a year, but that's not the plan for the rest.

Q. Why did you go through all those changes? What was in your mind that you felt there needed to be one this week or another one after a month or what? What were the specific reasons?

HOLGER RUNE: I mean, my only comment is that I think I have really the right things for me right now.

Q. Carlos was in here yesterday and he talked about reading a lot of the comments from fans and maybe some of the negative comments recently have gotten him down. You are someone who engages with fans on social media. Wonder if negative comments have affected you or how you compartmentalize that when you go out on to the court?

HOLGER RUNE: Yeah, for sure, I try to avoid as much as possible to read the social media, to be honest. I'm less and less myself on social media. I try to give back to all my fans. I think it's important because it means a lot really.

You know, today there was a couple of guys behind the court, they were like, you have a great serve, you're playing well, stuff like that, and that means a lot. It's great to have these encouraging people and fans that stand behind you. Lift you up when you need it. Then there is also the haters obviously. We need both, right (smiling)?

So I think it's just a part of it, but, you know, I really think that, like, someone said, the comments that are made are way too much, and, you know, it's online everything. You know, you would probably never see a person go up to another player's face and say stuff like that in real life. I think you have to, you know, control a little bit what you're saying, you know, even on social media. I think it's important.

I think for us players, you know, again, as I said, I can't speak on behalf of all players, but I think, you know, it's kind of a joke, really. Because, I mean, it's just really people that are betting on the matches that, you know, probably lost a bet or something and they feel like they want to write some shit.

So I don't think they write it with a lot of meaning. Just an effect. But I still think it's not okay.

To answer about how Carlos felt about it, you know, I mean, it's a little bit tough to be negative on Carlos. What he's been doing, I mean, it's unbelievable, winning two Grand Slams already, he's 20 years old. I think that there is not much to be negative about.