Holger Rune will contest the 2024 Brisbane International final, but it won't be against Rafael Nadal like he secretly hoped for.
Holger Rune never played against Rafael Nadal, and it's certainly a dream of his to do so one day. There was a decent chance it could have happened this week at the ATP 250 tournament in Brisbane, as Nadal was looking really sharp at the start, and Rune was the top seed.
Ultimately, Rune did his part by getting there, but Nadal was beaten by Jordan Thompson, so unfortunately, the two won't meet in the final of the competition. It will be the Dane against Grigor Dimitrov which is not bad, and it's actually a very solid final match between the two top seeds.
In any case, Rune himself was a bit disappointed that he wouldn't be facing Nadal in the final because he really hoped he would. He confirmed it when asked about it following the semi-final match.
Yeah, but this is tennis. Now I get either Thompson or Grigor. I think I'm just focusing on the match that I have to play. Whether it's that opponent or that opponent, that's not really up to me. I just got to stay focused on my things.
As good as Dimitrov is, facing Nadal in the final would been a bit different for Rune. He wouldn't be scared of that matchup, as he never is, but the Spaniard stood in dozens of finals and knew how to play them.
Dimitrov doesn't have the best track record with the finals, so it will be interesting. Rune has the right mindset in focusing on the match and trying to start off 2024 on a high note.
This week has been pretty good because he's here without Boris Becker and Severin Luthi, who joined his coaching staff ahead of this season. Stick with us to see how the Brisbane International concludes.
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