“He was very sad, it was tough" - Holger Rune's mother Aneke on Dane's defeat in Rome final following 'emotional' win vs Novak Djokovic

Holger Rune's mother Aneke recently disclosed to the ATP tour that the promising Dane's failure to back up his victory against Novak Djokovic at last year's Italian Open had dismayed him greatly.

Rune, ranked seventh in the world, enjoyed a respectable season last year. The Dane reached two ATP Masters 1000 finals in Monte Carlo and Rome, and picked up a 250-level title at the Munich Open last April.

The 20-year-old, however, hit a rough patch soon after, failing to make a dent in the latter half of the season due to a back injury. He enjoyed a good finish to his 2023 tour season regardless, joining the best of the best at last year's ATP Finals in Turin.

Aneke Rune, who has been instrumental in the youngster's success, recently sat down with the ATP to unpack the highlights of his sophomore year. She revealed that the Dane's second-career win over Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Italian Open had left him ecstatic.

Holger Rune's championship match defeat to Daniil Medvedev, however, had apparently made him equally sad, going by his mother's admission.

“He was very sad. It was tough. It was very emotional for him," Aneke Rune told the ATP tour. "To win against Novak is emotional, very big for Holger.

"To lose a final where you maybe know that you could have done differently, it’s also very tough," she added. "It’s emotions in two different directions but both of them are important emotions for the lesson of learning.”

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"I love to see the fire in his eyes" - Holger Rune's mom on the World No. 7

Holger and Aneke Rune celebrate after the Dane's title at the Munich Open.

Aneke Rune also shared her views on the Dane's on-court mentality. She said that her son always brings a sense of conviction to his matches, which makes for an exciting viewing.

“In general I love to see the fire in his eyes. These matches against the legends, he knows that he cannot do anything wrong. You see him doing an effort in everything he does on court, which makes the match very exciting to watch," she said.

She also expressed pride at Holger Rune being so dedicated to professional tennis.

"But also as a parent watching, it’s impressive to see that you can keep focussed, that you can make an effort in every stroke you do," she added. "You can think. You get proud when you watch this.”

Holger Rune, meanwhile, lost in the second round of the 2024 Australian Open to unseeded Arthur Cazaux in four sets. The Dane will next play at the Open Sud de France, where he is the top seed.