Nineteen-year-old Danish tennis player Holger Rune won the first career Masters title in Paris. In his debut in the final of the elite category event, he defeated defending champion and six-time champion Novak Djokovic from Serbia 3:6, 6:3, 7:5 after a turnaround.
The star of the next generation confirmed the great form of the last weeks in the Bercy hall. On the ATP circuit, Rune reached the final for the fourth consecutive tournament, winning 19 of his last 21 matches and claiming the third title of the season and career. He added the Paris trophy to the October triumph in Stockholm and the premiere success in Munich in May.
The 35-year-old Djokovic, who already has a record 38 Masters titles to his credit, entered the 56th final of this category confidently and won the opening set in 36 minutes. But Rune stopped his smooth ride at the beginning of the second set. He avoided three break points on his serve, then took the opponent’s serve and forced the third set.
In the deciding set, the talented Dane was able to erase a 1:3 deficit, took a 6:5 lead in the eleventh game and served out the match in the dramatic final game, despite facing six break points. He succeeded in the second match point and became the youngest Paris champion after Boris Becker, who triumphed here in 1986 as an eighteen-year-old.
On his way to the title, Rune knocked out five top-10 players in the world rankings, the last time he had done so on the ATP circuit in 1973. After saving three match points in the opening round against Stan Wawrinka, he got past Hubert Hurkacz (No. 10), Andrei Rublev (9th), injured Carlos Alcaraz (1st), Félix Auger-Aliassime (8th) and Djokovic (7th). He himself will move into the top 10 for the first time in his career in Monday’s current edition of the ATP rankings.
Men’s tennis tournament in Paris (hard surface, subsidy 6,008,725 euros):
Singles – Final:
Rune (Dan.) – Djokovic (6-Serb.) 3:6, 6:3, 7:5.
Doubles – Final:
Koolhof, Skupski (2-Niz./Brit.) – Dodig, Krajicek (8-Chorv./USA) 7:6 (7:5), 6:4.
