Win or Lose, Defending Champion Holger Rune Shares a Fascinating Paris Masters Connection With Legendary Coach Boris Becker

Holger Rune previously attracted a lot of controversy due to the alleged ego clashes between his former two coaches, Lars Christensen and Patrick Mouratoglou. Unsurprisingly, the partnership later came to an end as the Danish tennis star has now joined hands with the German tennis legend, Boris Becker. At the recently concluded Swiss Indoors Basel, the young ATP phenomenon was on a stellar run under the guidance of the former tennis ace.

However, the 20-year-old was later knocked out by the tournament’s champion, Felix Auger Aliassime, in the semifinal rounds. After a brilliant campaign under the tutelage of the Hall of Famer, Rune will now mark his participation at the Paris Masters. Whether the duo emerges triumphant or not, the Dane shares a fascinating connection with his current coach at the ATP Tour Masters 1000 event.

Holger Rune and Boris Becker have an intriguing common thread at the Paris Masters

The Dane tasted a significant breakthrough in the previous season when he amassed three ATP singles titles on the tour. In 2022, Rune enjoyed his first two title-winning runs in Stockholm and Munich. Later, the 20-year-old also emerged victorious at the Paris Masters in the AccorHotels Arena, where he also defeated some of the big names on the men’s tour.

Rune started his campaign in Paris with a high-profile matchup against the 3-time singles Grand Slam champion, Stan Wawrinka. After brushing aside the Swiss tennis legend in a three-set thriller, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6, the former world No. 4 then locked horns with the 10th seed, Hubert Hurkacz. The Dane enjoyed a comfortable straight-set win over the Pole and was then set up for a round of 16 against the 7th seed, Andrey Rublev.

While many would have thought of it as a close contest, Rune clinched another straight-set victory against the Russian tennis star. The Dane’s subsequent quarterfinal clash against Carlos Alcaraz came to an early conclusion as he was awarded a walkover after the Spaniard picked up an injury.

In the semifinals of the ATP Masters 1000 event, Rune later faced Felix Auger Aliassime, and he completely thumped the 7th-seeded Canadian, 6-4, 6-2. The young tennis sensation was then given the biggest task of squaring off against the tournament’s favorite and the Serbian tennis legend, Novak Djokovic.  The 20-year-old stunned the entire crowd at the AccorHotels Arena by defeating the ‘Djoker,’ 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, and capturing his third championship of the season.

Just like Rune, his new coach, Boris Becker also pulled off something remarkable in the prestigious tournament in Paris at a very young age during his competitive journey.

Becker once achieved a rare feat at the Paris Masters

During his teenage days on the men’s tour, the German tennis veteran has pulled off some credible achievements on the court. Apart from Wimbledon, Becker also made headlines at the 14th edition of the 1986 Paris Masters, which was previously known as the Paris Open.

After prevailing in his semifinal encounter against Frenchman Henri Leconte, the Hall of Famer was one victory away from his eighth title of the season. In the championship of the indoor carpet courts event, the former world No. 1 later outshined his Spanish opponent, Sergio Casal, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6. In doing so, Becker became the first teenager to achieve the singles title in Paris, at the mere age of 19.

Joining the ATP legend on this rare list, Holger Rune also secured the 2022 Paris Masters crown at the age of 19. Currently, the only two players in the history of the tournament to win the title as teens are the reigning champion and his new German coach.

While sharing this fascinating connection, Rune and Becker have started their coaching partnership on a high note. Given his recent campaign at the Swiss Indoors Basel, the 20-year-old has already seemed to have found his rhythm with the German tennis legend now on his team. Under his tutelage, Rune has already bagged three victories after defeating the likes of Sebastian Baez and Miomir Kecmanović.

READ MORE- Who Is ATP Star Holger Rune’s Girlfriend? All You Need to Know About the 26-Year-Old Italian Model

In their first tournament together as a team, Rune and Becker made it to the semifinal round of the indoor hard-court event. The partnership is already displaying a lot of promise, as they will now look to carry their great on-court momentum to the Paris Masters.