'Don't Want To Waste My Potential': Rune Targets No. 1 Ranking

| by Nurein Ahmed

Holger Rune is not satisfied with his current ranking and believes he has a higher ceiling than being just a world number six.

Rune is in Toronto this week and is scheduled to play his opening match at the Canadian Open during the night session against USA's Marcos Giron. The young Dane is aware of his progress in such a short time span, rising to a career-high mark of No. 6 on the ATP Tour, but believes he has yet to fulfill his potential.

Rune's ambitions are on par with his dynamism and grit on the tennis court. And as such, he is not comfortable with modest and mediocre numbers and results. When he was ranked around the 30th place in the world, he knew that isn't something he could be satisfied with as he revealed to ATPTour.com.

"I just really told myself, ‘Okay, I don't want to be No. 30 in the world and just stay here. I feel like I can be better and do better things, and I don't want to waste my potential. So I worked really hard."

"I improved a lot, both mentally, physically. I really took everything much more serious I would say and I was really determined to push every single day, every tournament I played.  I feel like after the [2022] US Open swing, I really worked even harder and I got to the level where I wanted to be."

Rune spoke to ATP Tour
Zverev Stunned By Sensational Davidovich Fokina In Toronto Thrashing
Zverev Stunned By Sensational Davidovich Fokina In Toronto Thrashing

Last year, Rune put together a career-best season on the ATP Tour, winning 40 matches and sensationally lifting his first Masters 1000 title in Paris, Bercy. This year, he's taken some giant steps at Grand Slam level, reaching the last eight at both the French Open and Wimbledon.

He also finished as runner-up at the two Masters finals he contested. Those near misses have spurred Rune to put in extra yards in practice and in matches until he attains his lifetime goal - the ATP men's number one ranking.

"I'm happy to be No. 6, but I'm not satisfied. And I don't want to end at No. 6. I want to be No. 1, it's no secret. Right now I'm also trying to work 10 times harder than I did in the beginning of the year. So hopefully, everything will come together."

But for Rune to achieve that feat, he'll most likely need to unseat current number one Carlos Alcaraz, with whom he forged a doubles alliance in their junior days. Rune and Alcaraz are now rivals on the main tour and could meet in the Canadian Open quarterfinals if the seeds hold.

Rune acknowledged that rivalries can elevate the sport and hopes their burgeoning rivalry with Alcaraz can transcend tennis akin to what those before them accomplished.

"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."

"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."

Magnifique Monfils Upsets Tsitsipas In Blockbuster Toronto Clash
Magnifique Monfils Upsets Tsitsipas In Blockbuster Toronto Clash

Read the full article

Just in

Look at more articles