Alcaraz v Rune: Head to head, stats, quotes – all you need to know about their rivalry

Everything you need to know about the burgeoning rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune

Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune || 272612_0068

Antoine Couvercelle / Panoramic

March 7, 2024

Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune are two of the young guns on the ATP Tour and already well-established at the top of the game. The pair have already played each other three times on Tour, with Alcaraz leading 2-1.

What is the head to head between Alcaraz and Rune?

Alcaraz and Rune have played each other three times on the ATP Tour, with the Spaniard currently holding a 2-1 advantage. Alcaraz won their first clash, which came in the round-robin stages of the Next Gen Finals back in 2021, but Rune levelled things when he won their quarter-final clash at the Paris Masters the following year, although Alcaraz retired through injury on that occasion when trailing 6-4, 6-6. Alcaraz nudged in front again when he beat Rune in straight sets in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon in 2023.

The full list is as follows:

2023 Wimbledon QF – grass – Alcaraz won 7-6 (3) 6-4, 6-4
2022 Paris Masters QF – indoor hard – Rune won 6-4, 6-6 rtd
2021 Next Gen Finals – indoor hard – Alcaraz won 4-3 (6), 4-2, 4-0

How many singles titles have Alcaraz and Rune won?

Alcaraz holds the edge here, with 12 titles to the four of Rune. Alcaraz won his first title on clay in Umag in 2021 and has since won four Masters 1000 titles and two Grand Slam titles, at the US Open in 2022 and Wimbledon in 2023. Rune has one Masters 1000 title to his name, at the Paris Masters in 2022, but has yet to go beyond the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam event.

What have Alcaraz and Rune said about each other on Tour?

Rune on Alcaraz: “When he has the chance to take advantage, he’s amazing. He’s fit. I’m fit. I think that we have what it takes to play many more battles. He also told me after the match (at Wimbledon) that we’ll play many times. I hope we can continue on this level for many years.

Alcaraz on Rune: “He has a lot of passion. He loves the game. He’s a really competitive guy, as well. I could describe him like this. We shared a lot of great moments. We played together since we were 12 years old. We know really well each other.”

Did they know each other as juniors?

Yes, and they played doubles together, too. “I remember that he took the backhand side,” Alcaraz said at Wimbledon last summer. “I remember when we were 12 years old or 11 years old, I think that’s the first time I saw him, a tournament in Mallorca. I think it was Tennis Europe under 12. I talk with him a little bit. In that tournament we played the first time together. I remember really clearly. Yeah, that’s the first memory that I have with him.”