Holger Rune, on a rainy Wednesday in Rome, defeated 7x Wimbledon winner Novak Djokovic. Rune’s on-court demeanor, however, has taken all attention away from his impressive victory. The Dane’s performances have time and again been eclipsed by negative coverage of his questionable conduct on the court. Former Wimbledon champion, Frederik Lochte Nielsen, believes that Rune has been treated unfairly, especially after his win against the Serbian.

Rune is a big fan of Roger Federer. While being regarded as a calm and collected player in his later years, Federer’s behavior was known to be abhorrent when he was a novice. Over time, however, the Swiss Maestro improved his etiquette in between matches. 

The Danish connection and the unfair treatment of Holger Rune

Nielsen believes that Rune is one of the few players who has a lucrative future in the sport. Along with being an exciting player, Nielsen also stated that the 20-year-old’s behavior has improved a lot on the court. “There are so many really boring tennis players, and he has improved significantly in terms of his behavior on the court.”

The former doubles Wimbledon champion said that people should empathize with the 20-year-old as he has been in the public eye since he was a child. “But you have to remember that there has been a camera on him since he was 16 years old. He’s still just a kid who is passionate and loves to play tennis. He’s still learning about life. I think it’s really cool that he gives something to the audience,” said Nielsen. 

Nielsen further gave an example of Djokovic, who he believes behaves in the opposite manner. “I think it’s a shame, for example, that Novak Djokovic doesn’t just embrace himself and stand by the person he is.”

Additionally, Nielsen chastised the media for building a biased narrative around Rune, calling such journalism lazy. “However, I also think that a narrative is being built around Holger that is not entirely correct. He is not as bad as he is made out to be, and when he has lost a fight, it is quite normal that there is a headline that says ‘Annoyed Holger Rune’. That, I think, is lazy journalism.”

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Nielsen seems to believe that Rune is following the same track as his idol, Roger Federer.

Roger Federer, as a novice, was a brash and brazen young player. He would smash rackets and shout vehemently on the court. After many punishments, Federer introspected, which led to a lasting development. Rune, who calls Federer his idol, can follow the same track as his role model. While he is the complete opposite of Federer at the moment, one small push can lead him to a good change.

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Will Rune find a change of heart and turn out to be more like his model?