With the emergence of recent speculation that Alexander Zverev may seek Toni Nadal for a career rebirth, Holger Rune is also making the headlines with his own new partnership.
American tennis legend Andre Agassi recently shared a three-day training stint with Rune before the kick-off of the Mubadal Citi DC Open in Washington, D.C. The former multiple Grand Slam champion was on the receiving end of Rune's request for assistance, and according to the Dane, it was well worth it.
While there are no indications of a future prolonged partnership, at least not at present, it appears that Rune recognized his current position in his tennis career and acknowledged that a shift was needed. Going to Agassi may have done a lot of good.
Holger Rune needs a course-correct despite being ranked No.8 in the world
Rune is unquestionably one of the more talented players on the ATP tour. However, outside of defeating Carlos Alcaraz for the ATP 500 title in Barcelona this year, Rune hasn't had much to smile about. After a three-title win season in 2022, Rune looked to be on the rise alongside the likes of Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
By the time 2022 rolled around, both Alcaraz and Sinner had multiple titles under wraps, and Rune's '22 season was beginning to put him in the same stratosphere. Unfortunately, his momentum didn't continue past that season, and since then, he has won just two events.
Sometimes, all a player needs is a new voice to ignite the spark, and that's where Agassi draws into the fold. For Rune, Agassi clearly possessed what the Dane was hoping for in training, input, and likely some much-needed encouragement with a dash of pointed clarity on his place in tennis.
Rune has admitted this season to be severely up-and-down, and hoped whatever wisdom Agassi could offer would be instrumental. Sure enough, that is exactly the case, as Rune left the three-day training stretch feeling stronger and more confident in his game.
As for the rest of this season, Rune is banking on a strong turnaround beginning in Washington and continuing throughout the ATP tour's US stretch. Rune has suffered from several first-round losses this year, including one at Wimbledon. However, he does have the one bright spot in Barcelona to lean on, which proves he can compete with and beat the best of the best.
Whatever he and Agassi worked on together, Rune hopes some magic will come out of it, with the remainder of the year ahead of him to translate Agassi's input onto the court.