Boris Becker steps down as Holger Rune's coach

Becker announces on social media that he is no longer Rune's coach
Clive Brunskill/GettyImages
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Coaching changes during the tennis season are not the norm, but in the past 24 hours, there have been two noteworthy ones. On the WTA side, Jessica Pegula split from longtime coach David Witt on Monday, and on Tuesday via social media, Boris Becker announced that he is stepping down as Holger Rune's coach effective immediately.

Rune has experienced a lot of turnover on his team in recent months, and Becker is the latest and perhaps most disappointing one to exit. Becker and Rune were believed to be good partners as Becker was once a young player on the ATP Tour who achieved the type of success Rune was trying to realize.

There has been no statement from anyone in Rune's camp to acknowledge the split. It is also unclear who will take over as Rune's coach.

Did Boris Becker clash with Holger Rune's mother?


Becker says the split is because his professional and personal responsibilities keep him from devoting the time necessary to Rune. Many tennis fans wonder if part of the issue is Holger Rune's mother who is a dominant voice in his personal and professional life.

It is not uncommon for parents of upcoming tennis players to be the drivers of their careers when they are young, but at some point, as Coco Gauff's parents did last summer, the parents have to step aside and let outside voices help the player reach the next level. In Gauff's case, Brad Gilbert and Pere Riba (who is no longer on her team) were the best people to get her there. A short time later, she became the 2023 US Open Champion. Like Gauff, Rune has the game and potential to win Grand Slams so hopefully he finds the right coach to get him there.

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