Eye of the Coach #74: Rune creates a connection with the crowd

Holger Rune has had an exciting spring on the red clay - in more ways than one. First, the Dane has been winning big matches. He reached his second Masters 1000 at Monte-Carlo, where he defeated Dominic Thiem, Matteo Berrettini, Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner before falling to Andrey Rublev in the final; then he successfully defended his title at Munich, saving four match points to win a thrilling final against Botic van de Zandschulp.

Rune has been raising eyebrows with his electric shotmaking and booming ground strokes, as well as his willingness to work the crowd into a frenzy. Unafraid to mix it up with the crowd, Rune lets his emotions spill out onto the court, and the atmosphere during his matches has been electric.

Is that a good thing or a bad thing for the rising Dane?

In episode # 74 of Eye of the Coach, Patrick Mouratoglou talks about the interesting dynamic that Rune is developing between himself and the paying customers.

Best moments of Eye of the Coach #74

0'18: Everybody is different, and it is great that Holger is expressing himself in an authentic way on the court, says Mouratoglou. "I personally like players who are giving emotion," he says. "It's not always positive emotion, but when you are playing a tennis match you go through so many emotions. ... to share that with a crowd, it helps people connect with you, in a good or in a bad way, but they connect, and it makes the stadium alive."

0''57': Mouratoglou points out that tennis is about more than hitting a ball and highlights Rune's capacity to entertain. "It's not only about hitting a tennis ball on the other side of the court," he says. "It's also about giving emotion to the people who watch."

1'10'': There are some reasons these emotions aren't always the best for the player, however. "It's because sometimes it can affect a players' performance," Mouratoglou points out.

1'25'': Rune has been able to live his emotions in a way that lifted his game. It's a rare talent, and a fine line to walk. "I think it was a big asset for him," says the coach, adding that it is still a work in progress. "Sometimes it can be negative for him and this is what we work on."