Patrick Mouratoglou joins Holger Rune's team as Simona Halep continues her break from tennis

Renowned tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou has joined Holger Rune's team as Simona Halep continues her recovery from injury and is expected to return to action next season. The French coach revealed that the Romanian player encouraged him to seek a new collaboration as she ended her 2022 season after undergoing nose surgery.

Mouratoglou expressed his excitement about teaming up with Holger Rune and revealed that he has known the Danish player for the last six years. The French coach took to his Instagram account to share the news of his new partnership with the teenager.

"The day I met Holger at the @mouratoglou_tennis_academy he was only 13, and we quickly formed a special bond. While @simonahalep is taking time to recover and is away from the game, she encouraged me to seek a new collaboration. Today, I’m pleased to announce that I will officially be joining the Team of @holgerrune," Mouratoglou said.

Mouratoglou, who will join hands with Rune's team of Lars Christensen, Lapo Becherini and Mike James, revealed that they will play in four tournaments and help Holger Rune in getting ready for the start of the 2023 season.

"Together, we’ll compete in 4 tournaments and prepare for the 2023 winter season. I’m really excited to start working with Holger. He has a great team with his mother and Lars, who he has been with since he started playing. These kinds of relationships are rare and precious. I am honored to be apart of it and my goal is to assist them in order to help Holger reach his goals. Stockholm here we come," Patrick Mouratoglou added.

Rune had recently made it to his first hardcourt final on the ATP tour at the Sofia Open but could not get past Marc-Andrea Huesler and lost to the Swiss in straight sets.

Rune is looking forward to work with Patrick Mouratoglou

Patrick Mouratoglou. Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images

Holger Rune stated that he was excited about the opportunity to work with Patrick Mouratoglou. He hopes that partnering with the coach will allow him to take "the next step" in his career, despite their collaboration being temporary.

“It’s an amazing opportunity to work with one of the best tennis coaches of the year,” Rune said as quoted by Tennis Majors. “At the level that we’re at right now and even if it’s only for a few months, we did not hesitate to take this chance to work with Patrick, in order to make the next step.”

Rune has had a career-best season so far, clinching his first title in Munich and reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open.