After Attracting Bad Reputation For His Rage, 20-Year-Old ATP Gun Defends Aggression With A Serious Statement

ATP stars like Holger Rune, Nick Kyrgios, and even Jimmy Connors are known not only for their aggressive style but also for their ‘Bad Boy’ reputation. Although Rune is being hailed as one of the next generation’s ‘Big 3’, his aggressive actions on the court often stand out, which often displeases the crowd. In the fourth round of the recent Madrid Open, Rune played against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and lost. During the match, a debate occurred when the Spanish favorite was not happy with the FoxTenn replay result. So he started arguing with the umpire and the supervisor. Rune intervened and tried to explain to his opponent that a computer call could not be challenged. Unaware of this, the audience booed the Dane. It certainly had an effect on the Dane. But was it detrimental or beneficial?

In a recent interview, the Danish player talked about the boos and how it affected him.

What does Holger Rune think of the crowd’s negative reaction?

In an interview with Firtsportz, Rune was asked about the booing he receives and how it influences his mental state. In contrast to what one might think, the ATP’s one of the most promising players replied that he enjoys it. He said that he loves the atmosphere and that people cannot always be on his side.

Rune was posed with a question, “Your take on people booing you unnecessarily? Does it affect your mental state?” to which the twenty-year-old replied, “I like the atmosphere. I like a lively crowd. You cannot have people on your site always. I get extra energy when the crowd is lively.”

As Tennis is widely regarded as a silent game, it is unusual for the crowd to display their emotions. But some players and their actions provoke even the silent crowd. Sometimes, the crowd get roused and boo the player, only to disrupt their game. The same thing happened to Rune at the Italian Open.

The controversy at the Italian Open

In this year’s Italian Open, Rune was welcomed with boos to the match in his fourth round. The match was against the Italian home favorite Fabio Fognini. The crowd discouraged him from the beginning. He received so much flak that the crowd enjoyed it while he made errors and dropped points.

However, the Dane did not let the boos get to his nerves as he dismantled his opponent easily. For the sixth seed, winning over the 103rd seed seemed like a cakewalk. After the match, Rune revealed that a few people tried to make him lose focus, but he did not get distracted. This helped him secure the win.

It looks like the twenty-year-old took the umpire’s advice seriously and implemented it. He even refused to say negative things about Nick Kyrgios when asked about players like him in tennis. What do you think about Rune?