Holger Rune took to social media in the wake of his early exit at the 2024 US Open to hit back at naysayers over his poor result.
Rune suffered a first-round defeat to USA's Brandon Nakashima. It wasn't the result that was mildly shocking, but the manner in which it happened. The match lasted only an hour and 57 minutes.
Nakashima dropped just six games in the one-sided victory, as Rune compiled a total of five double faults and landed only 39% of first serves. The young Dane failed to convert any of his six break points and finished the match with 30 forced errors.
It is the second year in a row that Rune has crashed out of the US Open opening round. Last year, he was upset by Spain's Roberto Carballes Baena and had complained before the match about being given a slot on an outside show court despite his higher-ranking status.
This year, Rune did not make such demands or calls but accepted that he just did not perform at his best level, and the results showed it. He was expected to be one of the dark horses after steaming into the tournament with momentum following his run to the Cincinnati final.
And with uncertainty surrounding some of the top seeds' form, Rune was definitely a solid pick for a deep run at the New York Slam. But he was given a reality check on Monday, serving as a reminder that there are no easy matches at the Grand Slam level.
Following the defeat, Rune received a lot of backlash from pundits and fans on social media, and he took to X (formerly Twitter) to clap back at the outrage. The 21-year-old Dane said that setbacks are part of the learning process.
He also insisted that he was "not satisfied" with his results this season after succumbing to his 18th loss of 2024 and referred to his critics as "experts" when he set the record straight about his current ranking and achievements.
"Sometimes the bumps on the road are painful and frustrating. But we all know there are no easy or fast way to fulfil our dreams. Every experience is learning, that will make the foundation so strong that no one or nothing can break us in the end."
"I am not satisfied with my results, but still I have to remember I am 21, I am top 15 in the world , the highest ranked male ever in my county. So when media, “experts “ and randoms call me s**t, I take it as a bizarre compliment."
Rune stated that he was taking the criticism as a "bizarre compliment", as people tend to set lofty goals and expect to attain them like a racing car, which is not the case in life. He will now prepare for the start of the Asian swing next month.
"They are expecting more from me, and faster. I too love when everything moves in F1 speed towards the goal but life is not always like that. To every young person or player out there losing in sports or feeling like a failure, be strong, it’s part of the road to success a certain amount of darkness is needed to enjoy the daylight."
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