When Holger Rune was last in Adelaide exactly one year ago, he was ranked world No.103 and had to work his way into the main draw through qualifying.
The then-18-year-old admirably did so for the week one tournament but suffered a straight-sets loss to Corentin Moutet in the first round of the main draw. The following week in Adelaide, Rune fell at the first hurdle in qualifying.
What a difference a year can make. Returning to the South Australian capital as world No.11, Rune is now a three-time titlist on the ATP Tour. In a blazing finish to his career-best season, he won 19 of 21 matches, and featured in finals of his last four events of the year.
“I still remember when I was here one year ago, and to be here at different ranking, different everything, it feels great. It’s been a great season,” said Rune, who is the No.5 seed at the ATP 250 tournament which begins at The Drive on Monday.
“Obviously some ups and downs, as well, but all in all, I keep improving, keep believing, and I’m happy where I am right now. But still I want to continue to do better.”
Momentum seems firmly in the favour of Rune, who at age 19 is one of only two teenagers (joined by world No.1 Carlos Alcaraz) in the ATP’s top 100. From the four finals he contested in the last weeks of the season, the Danish teenager lifted trophies in Stockholm and at the Paris Masters.
The path to a first ATP Masters 1000 title at the latter tournament couldn’t have been more impressive, Rune defeating Stan Wawrinka, Hubert Hurkacz, Andrey Rublev, Alcaraz, Felix Auger-Aliasime and Novak Djokovic in a gripping final.
The headline-grabbing title run made him the first player to claim five top-10 wins at a tournament (outside the ATP Finals) since the inception of the ATP Tour in 1990.
“To win against all of these guys at one tournament feels pretty special, because from the first match to the last, it was tough every match,” Rune told media ahead of the Adelaide International.
“The first match I was this close to losing against Stan and managed to pull it through, and then in the final, very close one again, and it’s great. It was probably the best feeling I ever had.”
Rune, who was born in Gentofte and is still based in his native Denmark, related that the appointment of Patrick Mouratoglou as a coach (alongside his long-time advisor Lars Christensen) was a turning point in the spectacular year.
“It’s great to have him in my team. We have a lot of fun both on and off the court, and he’s a really good coach,” said Rune. “He’s coming with a lot of good advice to me, both mentally, tennis, everything. He helps me a lot, and together with my whole team, with Lars, my mom and everybody, it’s great to have him be a part of it.”
Of equal value will be a strong start to the year in Adelaide, where Rune faces world No.36 Yoshihito Nishioka in the first round.
“It’s going to be the first time, which is always tricky, and he’s shown that he can play some good tennis,” said Rune of his maiden career meeting with the Japanese left-hander. “He’s very talented. He’s playing lefty. He’s running well and stuff. It’s going to be tough.”
And yet self-belief is understandably strong for the 19-year-old, who refuses to be drawn into any conversations around the pressures created by his recent rise.
“I don’t really think about it. I just think that it’s great that I keep believing, working, improving, and that’s really what I focus on,” he said.
“Every other player on the tour and that plays here in (Australia) is good. That’s why they’re here. Every match is going to be tough and I’m excited to go and take the challenge.”