While the world of men’s tennis may be dominated now by the likes of Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, there are a few stars who are ready to step in and give them a big fight. Holger Rune is one of the star names among them. The Danish player, who is currently ranked 6th in the world, is enjoying a great run of late.

Speaking in a recent interview, Holger shed light on the importance of rivalries in the game. He deeply believes that it keeps the spirit of the sport alive in each player. He also revealed some of the personal goals that he wishes to achieve.

Holger Rune talks about the impact of a healthy rivalry on the sport

Holger Rune will be making his way on the courts after he suffered a quarterfinals exit at the hands of Alcaraz at Wimbledon. He is presently taking part in the Canadian Open. However, as things stand, these two players have a great chance of facing each other once again should they manage to win their respective matches.

Rune, who trails 1-2 in head-to-head against Alcaraz, talked about the importance of rivalry in sports in an ATP interview. He said, “I do really enjoy it. And I think why rivalries are so important for the sport is because it grows it bigger… It gets more interest in the sport and if you only have one great player, of course, it?s nice for that one good player. But it?s not as competitive [as] if you have many.”

He also said that the earlier generations had had an immense impact on the sport. Consequently, he expressed his desire to replicate some of that during his career. He said, ?I think what Roger, Rafa and Novak did and also Borg, McEnroe, they [brought] tennis to another level and another dimension, and hopefully we can do that also.??

Rune’s revelations in the interview were also accompanied by reflections on his own game as well. With his lofty dreams, he admitted that he was disappointed and would wish to work on himself more.

READ MORE: ?I Practiced With Serena Williams? ? Holger Rune Refuses to Answer Greatest Player Question Due to His ?Respect for Female Tennis Players?

Rune is disappointed with his current ATP ranking

In the interview, Rune expressed his disapproval of the rankings and said that he had improved a lot both mentally and physically on himself after the US Open last year. However, remaining in the 6th spot is something that he does not wish. He further went on to acknowledge that he would be willing to work even harder to take the top spot and claim multiple trophies under his belt.

Thus, Holger Rune’s revelation on healthy rivalry gives us an idea of the importance of rivalry in sports. Also, his claim to take the 1st spot in the rankings is something that describes his mental strength and character to keep going even if the results don’t immediately come his way.

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