Holger Rune replaced Rafael Nadal poster with Roger Federer's after painful loss, recalls Dane's family

Holger Rune, whose phenomenal rise has stunned the tennis world has always been obsessed with winning according to his sister who played alongside the youngster during their childhood years.

According to Alma Rune, her younger brother was a big fan of both Federer and Nadal and made it a point to dress like his idols while taking to the court.

She told ATP tour that he once decided to take down a poster of Nadal and replace it with an image of Federer after having lost a final dressed like the Spaniard.

“He went bananas because he wanted to win. And we tried to calm him down and say, ‘It's okay and go take your [runner-up] trophy.’ He didn't want to accept the trophy. So we had to take it home in the back. When he came to his room he said, ‘Take down Rafa.’ At that time, Rafa was No. 2 and Roger was No. 1. And he said, ‘Put up, Roger’,” Alma Rune explained.

According to his mother, Aneke Rune, being second-best was never an option for the young Dane while Alma stressed that her brother learned the game while playing against other talented kids of his age.

“He said, ‘I never want to be No. 2, it's the worst,” Aneke said.

“In Denmark, there is not a rich culture of elite tennis. They were not whisked away to a world-class academy with the best juniors in the world. Some of their most memorable moments as kids were playing against one another," Alma added.

Holger Rune has had an impressive 2023 season while moving steadily up the ranking ladder.

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Holger Rune's steady rise through the 2023 season

Holger Rune in action during the 2023 Italian Open at Rome

Holger Rune broke into the ATP top-10 last year and is currently ranked World No. 7 after having reached the finals of the Monte-Carlo Masters earlier this season.

A crucial win against third seed Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals in Monte-Carlo set the 20-year-old up for a much-awaited clash against Jannik Sinner. An incredible straight-sets win saw Rune advance to the finals, where he failed to get past a determined Andrey Rublev.

Despite a loss in the title round, Rune rose through the rankings. He also reached a second successive final at the BMW Open, where he defeated Botic van de Zandschulp to clinch the title. The 2022 French Open quarterfinalist also registered semifinal finishes at the Open Sud de France and Mexican Open tournaments.

Following a second-round exit in Madrid, Rune is currently in action at the Italian Open, where he has progressed to the Round of 16 with a comfortable victory against Fabio Fognini.