Holger Rune has been forced to hire a temporary coach following confirmation that Boris Becker and Severin Luthin will not make it to Australia in the opening week of 2024.
Rune tied Becker to a long-term contract after a successful stint as an interim coach last autumn when he parted ways with Patrick Mouratoglou. The young Dane went the extra mile to keep up with the growing list of tennis players working with two coaches.
Rune brought on board one of Roger Federer's former coaches, Severin Luthi, to work in tandem with Becker and help him compete for top honors in 2024. The coaching alliance with such a gaudy duo is expected to tap into Rune's real potential.
However, both Becker and Luthi won't travel with Rune for the first tournament of 2024 in Brisbane, where the 20-year-old is the top seed in a star-studded field featuring 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal and American rising star Ben Shelton.
The two coaches' absences have been verified by Denmark's TV2 Sport, a reputable source with close links to Holger Rune's camp. Kenneth Carlsen, who works as a tennis expert for TV2 Sport, will take charge temporarily as Rune's coach in Brisbane.
The pair were pictured together in a practice court in Denmark, where Rune was celebrating Christmas this year. Rune and Carlsen have since traveled to Australia ahead of the first tournament of the season.
According to the same report, the partnership between Rune and Carlsen will not last beyond Brisbane. Swiss' Severin Luthi will arrive in Australia on January 8, at least a week before the start of the year's first Grand Slam to take control of training and watch Rune in action at the Kooyong Classic.
Becker is currently in São Tomé and Príncipe in Central Africa, visiting his girlfriend's homeland, and might have requested an extended leave. Becker will also join the Dane in Melbourne before the 2024 Australian Open, set for a historic Sunday start on January 14, 2024.
0 Comments