Marion Bartoli praises Holger Rune for engaging in fun session with kids - "Thank you for your very kind words"

Holger Rune was spotted engaging in a fun session with the kids as their coach and former tennis player Marion Bartoli expressed gratitude towards the Dane for his kind gesture.

The World No. 11 traveled to Dubai as part of the World Tennis League in mid-December and upon the conclusion of the mixed-gender exhibition tournament, he engaged with budding talents from the city for a session on the court.

Rune took to Instagram on Monday to convey encouraging words to the kids as he shared a clip of their session.

"A pleasure meeting you. You hit so well, both of you. Keep working," he wrote on his Instagram story.

The young players' coach Bartoli re-shared the story as she went on to shower the Dane with praise for his heartwarming gesture and kind words.

"Thank you Holger Rune for the amazing experience for the kids and your very kind words!! #happycoach," she wrote.

Marion Bartoli's Instagram story on Monday

Later in the day, Rune expressed delight at having been able to be a part of the fun session at the PureplayDXB Indoor Stadium as he wrote:

"Thank you for having me today."

Holger Rune credits the organizers on Instagram for inviting him for the session

The Dane will fly to Australia in a few days as he is set to commence his 2023 season at the Adelaide International 1, an ATP 250 event from January 1 to January 8.

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Holger Rune and Sania Mirza fail to deliver as Team Kites fall short of winning the World Tennis League

Holger Rune and Sania Mirza in action at the World Tennis League

Holger Rune and Sania Mirza of the Kites faced Dominic Thiem and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of the Hawks in the title decider of the World Tennis League on Saturday (December 24) as the points were tied after the men's and women's singles ties.

The mixed duo of the Kites put on a valiant fight in the first set, Rune displaying his excellent volley skills while Mirza's forehand shots did the trick at times. However, the opposition pair were determined to steer the game their way as they forced the opening set into a tie-break which they eventually won 7-4.

Thiem and Pavlyuchenkova looked much more in command from there on as they wrapped up the second set 6-3. With the win, Team Hawks clinched the title in the World Tennis League's inaugural season.

Rune's Kites completely dominated the league stage of the tournament as they won all their matches and finished at the top of the table. Nevertheless, they failed to deliver when it mattered the most.