“Always risk of burnout, but without passion you will not be a champion” : Mouratoglou reflects on Tsitsipas’ fear for Rune

After Stefanos Tsitsipas expressed worry that Holger Rune might experience burnout, Patrick Mouratoglou adds that Rune’s passion is what makes him a unique force on tour.

Holger Rune and Patrick Mouratoglou, 2023 | © AI / Reuters / Panoramic

Chris Oddo

January 24, 2023

Before the Australian Open Stefanos Tsitsipas told reporters that he was worried that Holger Rune’s insatiable desire for improving his tennis game might cause him to hit the proverbial wall at some point.

The Greek had lots of praise for Rune, the 19-year-old that has rocketed up the rankings of the past 52 weeks, but also tempered his words with a bit of concern for the intense Dane.

“He has matured pretty fast, I would say, in his game,” Tsitsipas said. “But, of course, that comes with a lot of hard work. I’ve seen him at the academy working hours and hours. He’s obsessed with tennis. You can see how obsessed he is with the sport. He lives, breathes and just I think thinks tennis all the time, which it’s both good, but it might also have some downsides because you know you have to have other things in your life that excite you and brings joy.”

“There is always a risk of burnout on the other hand, what is sure is that if you’re not passionate, you’re not going to burn out but you’re not going to be a champion.”
— Patrick Mouratoglou

Tsitsipas, who sometimes trains with Rune at the Mouratoglou Academy, wondered if his friend shouldn’t think about dialing it back a bit to preserve himself.

“Tennis is an important part of your life,” he said. “I’m just worried about him burning out. It’s a lot of tennis.”

Mouratoglou – “without passion there is no champion”

Patrick Mouratoglou countered Tsitsipas’ statement with a post on his social platforms on Tuesday. In a video in which he reflects on the relationship between passion and ability to be a champion, he says that without passion, maybe there’s no burnout, but without passion there won’t be a champion either.

“Whenever he leaves a tennis court, the first thing he does is watch tennis videos,” said Mouratoglou, as he compared rising Rune to other tennis-obsessed legends like Roger Federer and Serena Williams.

The coach addressed the worries that Tsitsipas expressed for Rune, saying: “I know that Stefanos said that he was a bit worried for Holger, thinking that he might burn out because he’s too passionate about tennis. There is always a risk of burnout on the other hand, what is sure is that if you’re not passionate, you’re not going to burn out but you’re not going to be a champion.”