Holger Rune described Novak Djokovic's level of play at 36 as "unbelievable" and admitted it would be tough to challenge him if he sustained his form.
Djokovic was the ATP's best player in 2023 by a mile. Despite playing a shorter schedule than usual, he finished last season with the most titles on the ATP tour. The Serbian won seven titles, including three Grand Slams.
He is the first man to win three majors in a single season on four occasions, and had it not been for a shanked drive volley in the fifth set of this year's Wimbledon final, Djokovic would have, in all likelihood, completed the first Calendar Grand Slam by a male player since 1969.
Despite that miss, Djokovic was pleased with himself at the manner in which he played all season to fend off not just one, but multiple challengers along the way.
Djokovic outlasted Carlos Alcaraz in the year-end No. 1 race and outshone Daniil Medvedev (US Open final) and Jannik Sinner (final of the ATP Finals) in two high-stakes matches in the second half of the season.
Competition is expected to go several notches higher next term. Sinner has exacted revenge on Djokovic and will enter next season with renewed confidence. Alcaraz, the only man to defeat Djokovic in a Slam in 2023, will not be content with second place.
And then there is Rune, who has extended his coaching partnership with Djokovic's former coach, Boris Becker, with his sights firmly among contenders for the big titles.
The young Dane is not expecting Djokovic to wilt. If the new generation is looking to match the Serb, then they'll need to win more regularly against him, according to the 20-year-old.
"I think it’s great to see that Novak can still play at this level. It’s unbelievable what he’s doing. Alcaraz won a slam this year, Sinner finished in the top four. I was No 4 four for the first time this year so I think the next generation is very interesting."
"We’re trying to compete with Novak to see if we can match him but he is still winning three out of four grand slams so it’s kind of tough. So before we can say that, we need to start winning more regularly against him."
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