Sunday’s Barcelona Open final wasn’t just another match—it was the youngest final at the tournament since 2006. With a packed crowd on Pista Rafa Nadal, 21-year-olds Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune battled for the title. Alcaraz held a 2-1 lead in their head-to-head and was fresh off a title run in Monte Carlo. Rune, on the other hand, had retired in Monte Carlo due to stomach issues, but bounced back in style in Barcelona. Alcaraz came in looking to win back-to-back clay-court titles. Rune came in looking to prove a point. And he did so by channeling his inner Novak Djokovic!

Holger Rune stunned the crowd and denied Carlos Alcaraz back-to-back clay titles with a 7-6(6), 6-2 win. The Spaniard tried to dig deep after dropping the first set, but Rune showed no mercy, running away with the second. The Dane’s victory not only cost Alcaraz his World No. 2 ranking, but it also handed Rune his first title in nearly two years.

More importantly, it was a reminder—Holger Rune is still very much a threat on the big stage. With this win, the Dane also snapped a 13-match losing streak against Top-5 players. Talk about perfect timing. He’s now riding a 4-match winning streak against Top-10 opponents and has jumped back into the ATP Top 10.

When asked how he managed to pull it off, the 21-year-old Danish tennis star had an unexpected but very interesting answer — it had a lot to do with Novak Djokovic. In his on-court interview, Rune shared, “So I told myself, ‘Okay, what did Novak do when he beats him?’. I kind of played it in my mind the Olympic final and I was watching all of it when they played obviously an amazing match. And I thought to myself, okay just try to play that kind of style, really make him play a lot of ball and I am happy with how I stayed composed when it really mattered. I was also very brave when it mattered.”

It’s no wonder Rune looked up to that match. Last year at the Paris Olympics, Djokovic, at 37 years old, finally snagged the one prize missing from his collection — Olympic singles gold. In what was probably his last real shot at the title, the Serb played a near-flawless match against Alcaraz, winning 7-6(3), 7-6(2) without dropping a set. That made him the oldest tennis player to win Olympic singles gold. Rune had clearly taken notes.

Rune’s admiration for Djokovic runs deep. Since 2021, they’ve been training together annually in Monte Carlo, building a bond on and off the court. Though Djokovic leads their head-to-head 4-2, Rune scored one of his biggest career wins against Novak at the 2022 Paris Masters. In that match, the Dane came back from a set down to defeat Djokovic 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 and lift the biggest trophy of his career so far.

The former World No.4 doesn’t hide how much he looks up to the 24-time Grand Slam champion. “He is a huge inspiration and he’s showing year after year that he’s one of the best that ever played the game. So I’ve tons of respect for him,” Rune said.

And apparently, it’s not just Djokovic’s style that Rune admires. He also admires his car collection.

Holger Rune makes a luxurious purchase as he imitates Novak Djokovic

During an interview with Tennis TV in Monte Carlo, Rune was asked about the flashy lifestyle surrounding the event — yachts, supercars, the whole vibe. When asked if he would swap one flashy car for his tennis gear, Rune cheekily replied, “It might be the new Porsche that I just bought, actually,” pointing out towards a green Porsche 911 parked outside the Monte-Carlo Country Club.

The interviewer couldn’t help but sound impressed, calling it “fast.” Rune’s reason for choosing the car? Simple. He said, “I saw it, and I was ‘like s*** that’s unbelievable.’ I was like ‘I need it. I need this one.” The Dane was referring to seeing Djokovic driving a Porsche 911 in Miami last month. Inspired yet again, Rune wasted no time in getting one for himself.

There’s a twist, though — Rune doesn’t even have a driver’s license yet. But hey, when you know, you know, right?

That cheeky confidence seems to be translating well onto the court again. After his Barcelona triumph, Rune is now eyeing the Madrid Masters, which kicks off on April 23. With momentum on his side, the Dane is looking ready to make more noise this clay season.

Holger Rune is not just following Djokovic’s footsteps — he’s sprinting in them, Porsche and all. Will Madrid see Rune shift into an even higher gear?