Holger Rune is 'going to win Grand Slams', claims Mats Wilander after Dane reaches French Open quarter-finals

ByEurosport

Published 05/06/2023 at 23:52 GMT

Holger Rune is bidding to win his maiden Grand Slam title at this year's French Open in Paris. He takes on 2022 Roland-Garros finalist Casper Ruud in a repeat of their quarter-final match last year which the Norwegian won in four sets. Mats Wilander thinks 20-year-old Rune will win Grand Slams in the future after enjoying a dramatic rise up the ATP rankings in the last year-and-a-half.

'He's going to win Grand Slam tournaments' - Wilander on 'really good' Rune

Mats Wilander believes Holger Rune will win Grand Slam tournaments in the future.

The world No. 6's career has gone from strength to strength since the start of 2022. The Dane began January last year No. 99 in the world and has shot up the rankings.

The 20-year-old won the Paris Masters last year and reached the finals of Monte Carlo and the Italian Open this year. He has now reached the quarter-finals at the French Open for the second year running after a dramatic five-set win against in-form Argentine Francisco Cerundolo.

Roland-Garros

Not Djokovic, Alcaraz or Sinner - Norrie picks his favourite for French Open glory

Yesterday at 21:07

Ahead of Rune's quarter-final match against Casper Ruud, who he played at the same stage of the Grand Slam last year, Wilander claimed he can win multiple Slams in the future.

"I'm very impressed with his problem solving skills for sure," Wilander told Eurosport.

"Obviously you're always a little bit concerned when you're playing a five setter in this, at this time of the tournament, especially losing the fourth set, 6-1. It's a bit worrying.

"But at the same time, he kind of lets that set go. So he's very mature in terms of the tactics in a tennis match, mentally, he's very mature, but I feel like he might be losing his concentration here and there.

"But then I'm comparing him with Carlos Alcaraz who doesn't seem to lose concentration that much. So Rune is going to be a great player one day.

"He's already really good and I think he's going to win Grand Slam tournaments because he's got this ability to switch on and switch off a little bit - and he comes back and plays his best tennis nearly always when it means the most."

'The umpire has made a huge mistake' - Double-bounce controversy as Rune gets lucky

Rune's upcoming quarter-final against Ruud is expected to be an exciting encounter between two young Scandinavians.

Wilander, a former Swedish tennis star, thinks having the duo in the quarter-finals is beneficial for the profile of both countries.

"Well I think it has a lot to do with where they come from," he said. "A Danish and a Norwegian in Grand Slam tennis.

"If you would have said that five years ago, people were going to go 'what are you crazy?'

"There's going to be a man from Denmark and a man from Norway who have a chance to not only play in the quarters, but get to the semis and then most probably have a chance to win this tournament over their career...

"It's an unbelievably important step for tennis in Norway and Denmark, especially that the small countries can bring out these two superstars."