Tennis – Australian Open – Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia – January 15, 2023 Denmark’s Holger Rune during a practice session REUTERS/Hannah Mckay
Holger Rune, the 19-year-old Danish teenager, is ready to take on the established order at the Australian Open, which begins on Monday. Rune heads into the tournament as the last man to have beaten the favorite, Novak Djokovic. In 2022, Rune won three titles, including his first ATP Masters 1000 crown in Paris in November, where he defeated Djokovic, a 21-time major champion, in the final after getting past four other top-10 players. Rune, who is currently ranked 10th in the world, is well aware of the added expectations placed on him now but says he is looking forward to the challenge of loosening the old guard’s grip on the Grand Slams. He begins his campaign against Serb Filip Krajinovic and has a potential third-round clash with Australian Nick Kyrgios.