'Roger Federer was maybe 40 times worse than I was' - Denmark's Holger Rune after French Open controversies
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Updated 20/06/2022 at 09:55 GMT
Danish tennis star Holger Rune says Roger Federer was “40 times worse” at his age, after the 19-year-old defended his antics in French Open defeat to Casper Ruud, which involved a locker room row. “If you saw Roger Federer as a youngster, he was maybe 40 times worse than I was,” Rune said.
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Holger Rune has defended his behaviour, saying tennis legend Roger Federer was “40 times worse” than him at his age.
Rune had trouble controlling his emotions in his French Open quarter-final defeat to Casper Ruud at the beginning of June, as he argued repeatedly with the umpire, and was even involved in a strange moment when he mother left the arena.
He barely acknowledged Ruud after the match, offering a half-hearted high five at the net before heading for the locker room, where the drama reportedly continued as Ruud and Rune were drawn into a war of words.
The youngster has since defended his actions, claiming 20-time grand slam winner Federer was much worse than he is, and that he has “plenty of time to get a better image.”
“If you saw Roger Federer as a youngster, he was maybe 40 times worse than I was,” Rune said. “And he's one of the most beloved tennis players on the tour - so I think I have plenty of time to get an even better image.
"I have an extreme passion for this sport and sometimes I show it too much.
“But I'm 19 years old. I'm still young and I work every day to bring out only the positives in my attitude - and that's a process.
“I just see that as differences and I think that's great. If all people were the same and think the same, it would be horrible to live in this world. It's great that you think what you want, and you like the character you like.”
Rune is in England preparing for Wimbledon and gets his Eastbourne International campaign underway on Monday. He will face Great Britain's Ryan Peniston in the round of 32.
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