Rune 'Needs A Bit Of Nick Kyrgios' To Succeed According To Wilander

Thursday, 08 June 2023 at 12:10

byZlatko Vodenicharov

Holger Rune finished his Roland Garros campaign on Wednesday and Mats Wilander feels like he needs something extra.

Rune is really great player, one that has won big trophies and contested for big trophies in the past. He's played three ATP Masters finals so far in his career though he only won one. At grand slams though, Rune is yet to make a next step and some assumed that it might happen against Ruud at Roland Garros, especially after he beat recently in Rome.

It didn't work out that way as Ruud once again bested Rune in four sets securing the semi-final. Rune played a really flat match seemingly struggling with fatigue but he dismissed concerns about that after the match saying it wasn't the case. Former player Mats Wilander thinks that Rune needs something extra as he caved under the pressure.

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When you look at how he played and how we behaved, I would agree, 100%. I think he needs mayhem, he needs a little bit of that Nick Kyrgios, and he didn't have that. I mean, I can't believe I'm saying this, but maybe start talking to his box, start screaming at his box, start finding people in the stands, just to do something.

Kyrgios is an interesting player and he may serve as an inspiration for the young Dane. Wilander would therefore really want Rune to find some of Nick Kyrgios in him. He was simply flat and there was no juice incoming outside of the 3rd set where Ruud helped him quite a bit.

He was flat and I think it's a learning lesson for him, but again I don't know if he has the energy to be because he's so fired up in a way - but not with his tennis racquet in his hand. I would have expected him [Rune] to get a little more fired up early in the second set. Eventually, though he started actually, I think, getting a bit irritated with the other side of the stadium which is where Casper Ruud’s box is, and I think he was using that. He needs something. I think that's going to be his strength, but it's also going to be a weakness in certain situations.

The concept isn't particularly new as many players use various types of things to fuel them. Novak Djokovic famously made a habit of clashing with the crowd and motivating himself to beat the players they are backing against him.