After Boris Becker split, Holger Rune wants stability.
The Danish world No. 7 has gotten into a bad habit that could impede his progress after firing four instructors in less than a year.
In less than a year, Holger Rune has parted ways with four coaches. Image courtesy of Pascal Guyot/AFP via Getty Images
After Boris Becker said earlier this week that he was stepping down as Holger Rune’s head coach, the headlines in Denmark read, “Kaempe chock!” However, it is questionable to what extent it was a “big shock.
After Severin Lüthi left Rune’s squad on the last day of January, Becker was the second high-profile player to leave in as many weeks.
Rune, the world No. 7 from Denmark, has now had four different trainers in as many years. Although the German’s departure appears to be unexpected, it actually fits into a pattern.
It’s unfortunate because the collaboration seemed to be going so nicely. The impact was immediate when Becker came on trial at Rune’s club in October of last year.
The 20-year-old’s eight losses in nine matches following Wimbledon were abruptly stopped, and he went on to claim his first-ever ATP Finals appearance with strong runs in Basel and Paris.
It served as a reminder of the depth of knowledge that Becker possesses—”more conceptual and tactical than technical,” according to Rune.
The German had a clear influence, but soon after he left, he also mentioned the conflicting “professional and private commitments.
“The tension was glaringly evident at the Australian Open when Becker called the match from a Munich-based Eurosport studio as Rune lost horribly to Arthur Cazaux in the second round.
From the beginning, it was evident that Becker, who was convicted of tax evasion in 2022, would not be able to travel with Rune to every big tournament due to his media obligations and travel constraints.
When the decision was made last November to prolong Becker’s term as head coach, all involved would have been aware of this reality.
It’s also possible that this reality played some role in the subsequent hiring of former Roger Federer coach Lüthi and former Danish No. 1 Kenneth Carlsen, who both accompanied Rune to Melbourne.
In any case, Becker’s claim that he misjudged the size of the work is complicated by the fact that those appointments were made.
They gave the idea that the player was surrounded by a highly skilled and experienced group that could handle any situation, including any availability issues.
Although Rune seemed resolute in his pursuit of keeping up with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, securing his place as one of the three twentysomethings predicted to succeed Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, Becker made it clear in his announcement of his departure that his primary focus was more pressing.
