TENNIS
— MOHAMMED AZMATHULLA
Patrick Mouratoglou, renowned for his coaching roles with Simona Halep and Serena Williams, identified four players he believes will contend for Grand Slam titles in 2024. In addition to the expected presence of Novak Djokovic, Mouratoglou named Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and his former protege, Holger Rune. Mouratoglou expressed his belief that Rune has rediscovered his form under new coach Boris Becker.
Rune achieved a career-high World No.4 ranking in 2023 before concluding the year at No.8. Despite a challenging period after Wimbledon, his performance improved following the addition of Becker as his coach. Since bringing on the German coach in October, Rune reached the semi-finals of the Swiss Indoors and the quarter-finals of the Paris Masters.
Speaking with Eurosport, Mouratoglou, who collaborated with Rune from 2016 to April 2023, highlighted the 20-year-old’s resurgence and tagged him as a potential Grand Slam champion for 2024. Alongside Djokovic, Mouratoglou identified Sinner and Alcaraz as strong contenders.
Mouratoglou delved into Rune’s journey, recalling his lower ranking just a year ago. Despite starting outside the top 25, Rune’s victory at the 2022 Paris Masters propelled him into the top 10. Mouratoglou asserted that Rune is returning to the level he displayed late in the previous season, especially excelling on clay and in recent matches.
Praising Rune’s collaboration with Becker, Mouratoglou expressed confidence in the player’s renewed confidence and anticipated strong performances in the upcoming season, starting with the UTS this weekend.
The narrative shifted to Rune’s aspirations to become a genuine Grand Slam contender, having achieved a career-high rank of World No.4 in 2023. Despite a dip in form later in the season, finishing at No.8 and narrowly making it to the ATP Finals, Rune secured his second consecutive ATP 250 Munich Open title. Drawing parallels to the breakthrough years of Alcaraz and Sinner in 2022 and 2023, respectively, Rune is poised for a significant season.
Alcaraz asserted himself as a force in 2022 with victories at two ATP Masters events and the US Open. Similarly, Sinner experienced a breakthrough in 2023, winning his first ATP 1000 title and finishing second in the ATP Finals. Notably, Sinner reached the Wimbledon semi-finals and solidified his elite status with victories over Djokovic.
While Alcaraz is already a favored contender, and Sinner has joined the league of elite players, Rune, with immense potential, needs a breakthrough year to be noticed as a Grand Slam favorite. To fulfill Mouratoglou’s prediction, Rune must ascend to the level achieved by Sinner and Alcaraz in their earlier years.
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