Andrey Rublev takes next step in Monte Carlo but is this it for Holger Rune's Patrick Mouratoglou 'mission'?
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Updated 17/04/2023 at 22:45 GMT
Andrey Rublev ended his wait for a first Masters 1000 title as he beat Holger Rune in the Monte Carlo final. Rublev had lost both his previous Masters finals in straight sets, but overcame Rune to lift the title. We look at what's next for Rublev following his victory and why the future looks bright for 19-year-old Rune, who had Patrick Mouratoglou in his box for the week.
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Holger Rune’s bid to revel in the NextGen spotlight briefly vacated by fellow teen Carlos Alcaraz came up just short as Andrey Rublev finally made his mark at Masters 1000 level by winning the 2023 Monte Carlo title.
Rune, 19, was tipped to prevail in Sunday’s showpiece in the principality but could not capture his second Masters 1000 title to add to the one he won in Paris in November.
For Rublev it brought to an end a long journey to triumph at a tournament at this level and he was almost in tears after sealing an emotional victory.
Paul Hassall was at the Monte Carlo Country Club to once again cast his eye over the action and chew over some talking points from the final.
Rublev lays to rest Masters 1000 hoodoo
Rublev is no stranger to winner’s trophies but his cabinet is bursting with seven at ATP 250 level and five at ATP 500 events – not the prizes he grew up dreaming of lifting.
That is until now. This Monaco success finally ends that painstaking pursuit for one at a higher tier for the world No. 6.
Rublev had made no secret of his desperation to push his career CV to a higher plane, and it was third time’s a charm in a Masters final as he also chalked up a fourth title on clay to cement his status as a top player on the surface.
He was runner-up to Stefanos Tsitsipas here in 2021 and was also the bridesmaid when Alexander Zverev beat him to the Cincinnati title in the same year.
There’s no denying he has a power game to breach most defences on the tour, particularly on clay where it is notoriously more difficult to hit through an opponent, but it could be argued that he has too often lacked the mental toughness when Plan A has gone awry against players at the very top.
This time, in a battle between two fiery characters, it was Rublev who remained calm, gesturing in irritation from time to time, but never allowing it to boil over.
In contrast, Rune blew his fuse at a decisive moment after fluffing back-to-back smashes and then sending two balls out of Court Rainier III in frustration. He was duly broken and the Russian went on to serve out for the championship.
So, is the title going to be the start of a new, ice-cool, composed approach from Rublev?
Don’t bet on it just yet, but this watershed moment is definitely a weight off his own shoulders.
What now for Rune and Mouratoglou partnership?
Serena Williams’ former coach Patrick Mouratoglou stepped in to assist with Rune’s development and rise up the rankings in October last year – and his impact was immediate.
The Dane roared to an unexpected victory at the Paris Masters, despatching five top-10 opponents along the way as well as finishing as a runner-up in Basel (ATP 500) and picking up the title in Stockholm (ATP 250).
A three-month collaboration was extended by another three after the 19-year-old picked up the 2022 ATP Newcomer of the Year award, but both parties announced amicably that it had run its course at the start of April this year.
Mouratoglou said at the time that the pair had "completed their mission" together and he will remain his "biggest fan".
However, given that the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy is in close proximity to Monaco, the French coach agreed to re-join the team briefly for the tournament in Monte Carlo to assist Lars Christensen.
Again it has reaped clear rewards and although Rune didn’t quite make it over the line in this final, it is his best result of 2023 so far and he clearly has a big future ahead of him.
On another day the trophy could well have been sitting snugly in Rune’s arms after he led 4-1 in the decider, but the red-hot sun beating down coupled with the late night exertions in edging out Jannik Sinner in a rain-interrupted semi-final clash on Saturday night, eventually took their toll.
Mouratoglou first saw Rune at the age of 13 and has previously discussed his evolution as a tennis player and how he is convinced he can attain greatness in the game.
He evidently knows what makes the player tick and was sat in Rune’s box, overheard offering words of encouragement such as "higher toss" and generally providing a calming presence throughout the week.
Unless there’s a sudden U-turn, it seems unlikely Mouratoglou will be with the teenager for the rest of the clay swing, given his commitment with the currently-banned WTA star Simona Halep due to a doping violation.
But further down the road who knows? It wouldn’t be the first partnership to get the band back together if things don’t pan out the way either of them hope in their respective targets going forward. Watch this space…
What's next in European clay swing?
Well, Rune’s recent prediction that he would go on to win the Monte Carlo Masters came close, but he can take real confidence from reaching his first tour final of the season which has seen him elevate to a career high No. 7 in the rankings.
But will he get his hands on some silverware in the upcoming raft of red-dirt tournaments? And will Rublev now emerge as real contender for the French Open?
Here’s a stab at who could be lifting trophies in the next couple of months, with the disclaimer that there’s no doubt 2023 is a tougher call given the wider field of players capable of clay-court brilliance and the continued uncertainty surrounding a certain Rafael Nadal.
Barcelona ATP 500
- Defending champion: Carlos Alcaraz
- Tip for 2023: Carlos Alcaraz
BMW Open ATP 250 in Munich
- Defending champion: Holger Rune
- Tip for 2023: Alexander Zverev
Madrid Open - Masters 1000
- Defending champion: Carlos Alcaraz
- Tip for 2023: Jannik Sinner
Srpska Open (Bosnia) upgraded from Challenger to ATP 250
- New event tip: Novak Djokovic
Italian Open – Rome Masters 1000
- Defending champion: Novak Djokovic
- Tip for 2023: Rafael Nadal
Geneva Open (ATP 250)
- Defending champion: Casper Ruud
- Tip for 2023: Casper Ruud
Lyon (ATP 250)
- Defending champion: Cameron Norrie
- Tip for 2023: Holger Rune
Roland Garros
- Defending champion: Rafael Nadal
- Tip for 2023: Rafael Nadal to win the La Decimoquinta (No.15)
- Roland Garros Runner-up: Carlos Alcaraz
- *Alternative champion if Nadal is clearly unfit
- Tip for 2023: Carlos Alcaraz
- Roland Garros Runner-up: Holger Rune
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