Holger Rune is getting some pretty serious help for his tennis game. The 22-year-old Danish player is working with Andre Agassi – yes, that Andre Agassi – ahead of next week’s Citi Open in Washington.
It’s kind of wild when you think about it. Rune’s already worked with a bunch of different coaches, and he’s barely old enough to rent a car.
He’s had three separate coaching stints with Patrick Mouratoglou, who currently coaches Naomi Osaka and used to work with Serena Williams. But none of his coaches have been able to help him crack the code that Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner figured out.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holger Rune | 22 | 2,540 | 22 - 12 |
Here’s the thing that’s got to sting a bit for Rune.
Back in 2022, when he won the Paris Masters, he was actually ahead of Sinner in terms of big wins. Sinner didn’t even capture his first Masters 1000 title until August 2023 at the Canadian Open.
But Sinner and Alcaraz have completely taken over men’s tennis since then. They’ve won the last seven Grand Slams between them and faced off in the finals at both the French Open and Wimbledon this year, splitting those matches.
Rune has admitted he didn’t work as hard as he could have in the past. The former world No. 4 says he’s been trying to fix that over the last year, but he’s still chasing his younger rivals.
Working With Legends: Hit or Miss
Sometimes bringing in a tennis legend can be exactly what a player needs. Novak Djokovic had great success working with both Goran Ivanisevic and Boris Becker.
But it doesn’t always work out. Djokovic’s partnerships with Agassi and Andy Murray didn’t pan out – he and Murray just split after six months together.
Now Agassi’s hoping he can have a better impact on Rune’s game.
The eight-time Grand Slam champion isn’t officially Rune’s new coach yet. They’re doing a three-day trial run in Washington to see if there’s any chemistry between them and whether Agassi’s approach clicks with the Danish player.
There’s video footage of their practice sessions, with Rune working on his return game while Agassi offers guidance from the sidelines. You can see Rune catching his breath between drills, sharing smiles with the tennis legend.
The Chemistry Test
Three days isn’t exactly a long time to figure out if a coaching partnership will work. But honestly, that’s pretty typical for Rune – he hasn’t stuck with coaches for very long periods.
It’s worth remembering that some coaching relationships take time to develop properly.
Iga Swiatek and Wim Fissette are a perfect example of this. After Swiatek hired Fissette (who had previously coached Osaka twice), she didn’t even reach a final for eight months.
Then everything clicked on grass courts of all places. She lost in the final at the Bad Homburg Open but then went on an incredible run to win Wimbledon – her first grass court Grand Slam. She even ended up dancing with Sinner at the Champions’ Ball afterward.
The big question is whether Rune will give any partnership enough time to actually develop. Adding Agassi to his team for at least a year could provide the stability he’s been missing.
Right now, it’s anyone’s guess whether this three-day trial will turn into something longer-term. But for a player who’s been searching for the right formula to catch up with Alcaraz and Sinner, working with one of the greatest players ever might be worth the experiment.
