“Hard work pays off” - Holger Rune takes pride in consistent rise in ATP rankings

Holger Rune broke into the top 10 of the ATP rankings this week following his Paris Masters triumph.

The Danish professional took to social media to share the news. To emphasize his rise in the ATP rankings over the last few months, he also shared a graph that illustrated his consistent climb, saying:

"Hard work pays off"

Only two other active players have accomplished the feat at an age younger than the 19-year-old Rune — Carlos Alcaraz (18 years) and Rafael Nadal (18 years). With his latest climb in the rankings, Rune also became the first Dane to crack the top 10.

The teenager only made his top 20 debut last week, rising from No. 25 to No 18. However, his win in Paris has propelled him further up the ladder. He began his season ranked No. 103.

He won his first title in January at the Bavarian Open in Germany and followed it up with another title at the Stockholm Open in October, along with a runner-up finish in Basel. He most recently emerged triumphant at the Paris Masters, where he defeated former World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the final.

In reply to a user's comment on his post, he stated that hard work was key to his rise and that he has improved in small parts throughout the year.

"The 1-2% extra effort in every practice is the key for me to perform good sometimes we forget how much difference the little daily improvement can do in a year," he said.

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Holger Rune heads to Turin as first alternate at ATP Finals

Holger Rune in action at the 2022 Paris Masters

Holger Rune is currently the first alternate for the ATP Finals following Carlos Alacaraz's withdrawal from the tournament due to an abdominal injury.

The Dane was earlier scheduled to make his debut in the NextGen ATP Finals in Milan. However, after reaching the No 10 ranking, he also qualified to serve as the first alternate in the ATP Finals.

With just a week's gap between the two tournaments, Rune withdrew from the NextGen ATP Finals and will now be heading to Turin instead. He and second alternate Hubert Hurkacz will only be in action if any of the qualified players withdraw from their matches.