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Holger Rune discusses how Novak Djokovic helped him beat Carlos Alcaraz in Barcelona Open
Holger Rune discovered a unique technique to motivate himself before the Barcelona Open final by recalling Novak Djokovic’s performance against Carlos Alcaraz in the Paris Olympics final.
On Sunday, the Dane won his first ATP title in exactly two years, defeating the top-seeded Spaniard 7-6 (6) 6-2. The 21-year-old won his first ATP title since April 2023, and his fifth overall.
Last summer, Alcaraz was considered the favorite to beat Djokovic in the gold medal match at the Olympics. But it was the Serb who registered a 7-6 (3) 7-6 (2) win.
After winning the Monte Carlo Masters, the Spaniard was regarded as the heavy favorite to also win Barcelona. But Rune ruined those plans.
“I told myself, ‘what did Novak do when he beat him?’ I kind of played it in my mind… The Olympic final. Amazing match. I thought to myself ‘let’s try to play that kind of style,” the Dane said after the match.
Rune gets honest on winning his first title in two years
After becoming a Masters champion in late 2022 and also reaching the top-10 ranking for the first time in his career, the Danish tennis star didn’t manage to continue elevating as he wanted.
“It means the world, it was such a great match. In the beginning, I was a little bit stressed, because Carlos obviously plays big-time tennis. I had to breathe a lot and find my rhythm. After he broke me, I got more into the match and played my tennis. The first set was a big battle, it was super important to win it and gain the momentum. I’m so proud of myself,” Rune reflected.
The Dane, who entered the week ranked 13th in the world, will return to the top ten and be rated ninth when the rankings are updated on Monday.
