Holger Rune's season is over after the Dane withdrew from the Moselle Open in Metz that began on Sunday.
Rune's last appearance was in the Paris Masters semifinal. He had kept his slim hopes of qualifying for the ATP Finals alive by winning a tough three-set battle against Alex de Minaur in the quarterfinal.
Unfortunately for the Dane, Alexander Zverev ended his chances of making it to the year-end tournament in Turin. The German also secured the No. 2 ranking from Carlos Alcaraz by reaching the final.
Although much of Rune's tennis in Paris was impressive, two-time French Open champion Jim Courier pulled no punches in his assessment of the 21-year-old during the match against Zverev, saying he possessed an immature game that was not good enough to compete against the best players.
Surprisingly, Rune's former coach, Boris Becker, publicly agreed with Courier's analysis. The six-time Grand Slam champion worked with Rune for a few months at the end of 2023 and the start of this year.
Becker is one of several coaches that Rune has had in recent years. He hired Patrick Mouratoglou for a third time this season but ended their partnership for what will surely be a final time a few months later.
Mouratoglou is now working with Naomi Osaka. The Frenchman will hope to recapture his success with Serena Williams after a controversial spell with Simona Halep, to whom he gave the collagen that got the Romanian suspended, and unconvincing spells with Rune.
The Dane's coaching chaos continued when he hired Lars Christensen for a third time ahead of the Six Kings Slam last month. Christensen was with Rune at the Paris Masters and it seems like they plan to work together in 2025.
Some feel that not having a settled team is one reason Rune is slipping behind young rivals Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. They have worked with Juan Carlos Ferrero and Darren Cahill, respectively, for lengthy periods.
After deciding to withdraw from the Moselle Open in Metz, Rune will have an opportunity to work with Christensen or anyone else for a more extended period if he chooses to ahead of the 2025 season.
No official reason has been given for Rune's decision. The 2022 champion at the Paris Masters did not seem to be struggling with a physical issue during his match against Zverev in the French capital.
It is more likely that Rune withdrew from the tournament in Metz because he can no longer qualify for the ATP Finals. His hopes were faint anyway heading into the final Masters 1000 tournament of the season, but officially being unable to qualify reduces the incentive to compete.
Rune could probably use some time to regroup and reset for 2025. Although the 21-year-old is still inside the Top 20, showing his results in 2024 were not terrible, the two-time French Open quarterfinalist is also better than what he showed this season.
Courier's stinging words about him on commentary might act as additional motivation to work and prove he is a mature player ready to compete with the best players for the most significant titles.