Home/Tennis

via Reuters

via Reuters

The young Danish tennis sensation Holger Rune is one of the most rapidly rising stars in the ATP tour. After turning professional in 2020, the 21-year-old was quick to capture the imagination of the tennis world with his impressive skills on the tennis court. Currently placed at number 6 in the ATP rankings, the Dane continues to make a mark on the men’s circuit, as he looks to achieve grand slam success at the ongoing Wimbledon.

Ever since he made his debut, the names of his parents have always popped up along with him – especially that of his mother, Aneke Rune. Aneke recently shed light on how she overcame the highly tense moments during Holger’s thrilling 3rd round victory in Wimbledon.

Smoking spree helped mother of Holger Rune overcome super-anxious moments during his epic Wimbledon bout

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

The young Dane’s mother, Aneke Rune, has always been a constant supporter of Holger’s tennis career, with her presently working as the tennis star’s manager and agent. Like always, she was present at the player’s box during Holger’s Wimbledon 3rd round encounter against Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. The match turned out to be a nerve-wracking thriller, with Holger Rune edging past Fokina 6-3, 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(8) in the end.

However, Holger’s mother walked out of the court during the third set, only to return after his epic triumph 2 hours later. As reported by the Daily Mail, she was smoking cigarettes while strolling the streets outside after leaving the arena, with her superstitious mind taking over. “He needed to refocus and play the game. When I left, I saw he won the set but I thought, ‘You know what, I think I?ll stay out’. I was walking up and down the street smoking cigarettes. I was getting superstitious because every time I lit a cigarette he won a game! My mouth was so dry!”, she said.

via Reuters

This is not the first instance, nonetheless, where Holger Rune’s mother was seen walking out of the player’s box in the middle of her son’s match.

READ MORE: Raw Emotions in Full Display as 21-Year-Old Wimbledon Talent Shows Gratitude to the Crowd With an Emotional Gesture After Nail-Biting Win

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Rune’s mother walked out of his French Open quarterfinal encounter against Casper Ruud last year

Holger Rune reached his first-ever grand slam quarterfinal at last year’s Roland Garros, where he was defeated by eventual runner-up Casper Ruud. Rune was at his animated best during the course of this match and received a lot of backlash for his on-court antics and refusal to shake hands with Ruud after the match ended. At one point, he was heard yelling ‘leave’ a number of times towards his box, after which his mother got up from her seat and left the stadium. He later confirmed, however, that his outburst was not directed towards his mother.

via Imago

But the results are very different this year in Wimbledon with Holger Rune making his way to the round of 16 in thrilling fashion. Rune’s mother probably wouldn’t mind smoking a pack or two or moving out of the arena if his winning run continues like this!

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

WATCH THIS STORY: ?Don?t mind getting a bit dirty? -Aussie star Nick Kyrgios explores the ?Roger Federer? connection to Wimbledon and his nasty desire to win