Rune: “I don’t believe I’ve become a worse player in the last two years”

After defeating an in-form Stefanos Tsitsipas at the 2025 Indian Wells Masters, Holger Rune talks about his development

March 12, 2025

Holger Rune seemed confident about his recent development as a tennis player after defeating world No 9 Stefanos Tsitsipas at Indian Wells on Tueday. The No 12 seed, overcame Tsitsipas in straight sets (6-4, 6-4) to book his place in the Indian Wells Masters quarter-finals for the second consecutive year.

This was Rune’s first top 10 win on hardcourt outdoors—a surprising stat, given he’s a former world No 4 and has spent most of his time on the ATP Tour ranked among the very best.

🔥🎾 FIRST victory over a Top 10 player on an outdoor hard court for Holger Rune! Reaches his NINTH Masters 1000 QF!

Ends Stefanos Tsitsipas’s 7-match win streak 💥 pic.twitter.com/xf3H8XePgD
— Olly Tennis 🎾🇬🇧 (@Olly_Tennis_) March 11, 2025

The Dane made headlines in 2022 by picking up three trophies, including the coveted Masters 1000 title in Paris, where he famously outdid Novak Djokovic in the summit clash. He secured one more triumph in 2023, prevailing at ATP 500 Munich, but hasn’t tasted the ultimate success at all since then.

Rune’s ranking graph witnessed a decline as he exited the top 10 in April 2024 and, now ranked 12th in the world, continues to remain outside the list. Once measured against the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, he has struggled to live up to the expectations of tennis fans and pundits alike.

However, the world No 12 believes his tennis has only improved in the 24 months gone by.

“I have learned my lessons,” he told the media on Tuesday after beating Tsitsipas at Indian Wells. “Things doesn’t happen without a reason. I think every player deserve to be where they are, so I deserve to be at my ranking. Whoever is at their ranking deserve, because it’s about, you know, making results, but at the same time improving your game and having stability.

“I think, what I have done much better in this tournament so far is my mentality. Been more consistent there. This also results in, you know, better result and more consistent game, I would say. Because I don’t believe I’ve become a worse player [in] the last two years. I actually think the opposite. I think I have become a better all-around player. Yeah, mentally I feel good right now. I feel very composed on the court, and I’m just going day by day.”

I’m living my dream, and it’s a nicer feeling when it also goes together on the match court.”
Holger Rune

Also, Holger Rune hasn’t stopped loving the racquet sport despite the unfavourable on-court results and is positive about his chances in Tennis Paradise as he faces Alexander Zverev-slayer Tallon Griekspoor in his first quarter-final for the season.

“Right now I’m enjoying it as much,” he added. “But definitely been some moment where I didn’t. But I think this is normal. When you have these expectations and you don’t quite, like, live up to them, of course it’s disappointing, but, you know, it’s very basic and it’s very maybe boring to say, but I just love tennis. So even not being satisfied with my results, I still love to go down to the practice court and hit forehands, backhands, work on my shots, my physicality.

“I think I’m living my dream, and definitely it’s a nicer feeling when it also goes together on the match court. But as I said, I think this is mentally, and I think I have managed to do that better in this tournament. I’m going to try to still do it, because the tournament isn’t over yet. So just going to stay in the moment.”