Holger Rune stuns Novak Djokovic to claim maiden Paris Masters title in thriller and move into ATP top 10

BySam Rooke

Updated 06/11/2022 at 19:29 GMT

Holger Rune extended a remarkable breakout 2022 season with a 3-6 6-3 7-5 victory over Novak Djokovic in Paris which handed him his maiden Paris Masters title. 19-year-old Rune had already been identified as one the sport's rising stars, and his victory over Djokovic will do nothing to slow that burgeoning reputation. It was a dogged, never-say-die performance, culminating in an epic final game.

Danish teenager Holger Rune beat Novak Djokovic, 3-6 6-3 7-5, to claim his maiden Paris Masters title and move into ATP Tour top 10.

19-year-old Rune outlasted the wily Djokovic in a match that lasted 153 minutes in Paris to seal his third title in what has been a breakout year.

Rune was initially visibly tentative compared to the way he had been playing all week, perhaps due to the inevitable nerves that come from playing in a maiden Masters 1000 final.

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Djokovic punished two double-faults from the Dane to break him in the fourth game which only boosted his confidence.

Rune could only win five points on Djokovic’s serve all set, so the 21-time Grand Slam champion marched his way to the opening set.

Djokovic missed a triple-break point chance at the start of the second set as Rune just held onto his own serve. His reward for digging in was a break in the next game as Djokovic made some rare unforced errors.

Confidence and momentum was on Rune’s side with Djokovic now on the back foot as he lost the second set.

Djokovic broke Rune in the fourth game of the deciding set, but the world No. 18 stunned the Serbian by breaking back immediately in the next game.

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Djokovic had predicted a tough battle before the match, labelling Rune "a fantastic competitor", and he was proven right in the final set.

Rune was 1-3 down in the decider before pulling himself together.

He had already beaten Hubert Hurkacz, Andrey Rublev, Carlos Alcaraz and Felix Auger-Aliassime en route to the title, and dealt ably with the pressure Djokovic applied.

With Rune serving for the match, Djokovic - a six-time champion who has not tasted defeat at the event since 2018 - would not give in.

There were still nerves for Rune even in that final game. He double-faulted on match-point to give Djokovic a toe-hold in the dying moments of the match.

Seven times the game reverted to deuce before the decisive moment finally game.

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Djokovic approached the net and looked to just lift his shot over the net and catch out Rune, but the Serbian instead struck the net and the title was lost.

Rune fell to the ground in celebration as the Paris crowd erupted.

The victory not only adds the Paris title to Rune's victories in the Bavarian Championship and Stockholm Open in a sensational season, it also lifts him into the world's top 10 for the first time.

The Dane is also the youngest winner in Paris since Boris Becker, in 1986.

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