Holger Rune is having a lot of time to give interviews now that the season is over. Now, the Dane sat down to chat with Brett and Jimmy Connors about his year and, above all, the incorporation of Boris Becker to his team. In addition, the 8th in the world also spoke about how to approach a match against Novak Djokovic and confessed that he did not need either Alcaraz or Sinner to stay motivated.
Becker knows perfectly what he feels on the court
“He knows those feelings perfectly when you’re on the court, he knows what you’re going through and he can guide you in the right way. It’s easier than with any other trainer. Some people tell you, ‘I know how you feel,’ but they don’t know because they’ve never been there, so they haven’t had the same emotion. Of course, Boris has been there for many years. He has his weapons and is trying to give them to me.
It’s very exciting and I think it’s bringing a lot of mentality and some technical things. But more mentality about how to handle big moments better and how to save energy in matches to do things better mentally. He is a very good man, he already made a plan with my physical trainer and my analyst and what we needed to improve and he is already very involved. “We had this testing period during the tournaments,” he said. Holger Rune on the podcast Advantage Connors.
What not to think about when facing Novak Djokovic
“When I step on the court, I firmly believe in my abilities and what I can do out there. I respect my opponent, but I will never be afraid. When you tell me: ‘you know, playing against a guy with 24 Grand Slams…’. Yes, I know, but if I thought that, I would have already lost the game. So I can’t allow myself to have these thoughts in my mind because on paper it’s impossible to beat him, but in real life, anything is possible. So I have to stay there, take my chance. I know he is the best, but even the best can be defeated. “That’s what I tell myself.”
Too tight a schedule and too little recovery time
“It’s crazy. If you ask me, I’m young and fine. But it is very, very full. And especially finishing with the Davis Cup. So it’s really crazy playing against each other every week. It’s about trying to schedule the season in the best way possible for me, for next season. I think it’s important to have a good team around you that knows which tournament to go to and at what times of the season your body needs more rest. So yeah, it’s quite a puzzle.”
What Alcaraz and Sinner do does not affect him
“It’s very cool to be part of this group, they are both doing very very well. Sinner with a phenomenal season and Carlos obviously with the Wimbledon title. But honestly I already have motivation inside me, so I don’t need other players to motivate me or keep me hungry. When I win, I’m hungrier, even when I lose I have motivation to come back. If Sinner wins a tournament or loses in the first round, I wish him the best, but it doesn’t affect my motivation to win.”
2023-12-02 12:48:03
#paper #impossible #beat #Djokovic
