Boris Becker has confirmed that he is the new coach of Holger Rune following days of speculation. The retired tennis star joined the world No 6 for a training week in Monaco and has since officially joined Rune’s team in what is his first coaching job since being released from prison. Becker revealed that he had been brought on with one clear goal in mind – help the 20-year-old qualify for the ATP Finals.
Becker announced that he was officially becoming Rune’s main coach on Thursday after the 20-year-old crashed out of the Stockholm Open. The pair sparked rumours when Rune posted photos of the German alongside his team at the Monte Carlo Country Club though Becker was not with him in Sweden.
“I can confirm that I am Holger Rune’s coach,” Becker told Eurosport Germany’s podcast. A six-time Grand Slam champion, Becker admitted that he had known Rune for a while and was happy to be asked to join the world No 6’s team.
He continued: “It makes me a little proud that he asked me. The contact has existed for a long time. Now it was a very good fit. My calendar allows it and I have always been interested in Holger because he is on the tennis court with so much commitment and temperament.”
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Explaining how his new job as Rune’s coach came about, the former world No 1 added: “Holger then invited me to a training week in Monte-Carlo. I also had a long chat there with his mother Aneke and his performance coach Lapo Becherini. The three of us are responsible for Holger from now on. Unfortunately, I can’t be at the tournament in Stockholm this week because of previously arranged appointments.”
The 55-year-old confirmed that he would be with his new charge at the upcoming tournaments in Basel and Paris where Rune has plenty of points to defend – reaching the Basel final and winning the Paris Masters last year. And Becker was coming in at a pivotal time for Rune as the Dane is still bidding to nab one of the spots at the ATP Finals.
“But I will be there in Basel at the latest, and afterwards, I will play Paris-Bercy with Holger – and hopefully help him to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin. That is the big goal and that is the task,” Becker explained.
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A former coach of Novak Djokovic, Becker’s new role working with Rune marks his first coaching job since he was released from prison last December. During a trial last April, the 55-year-old was found guilty of four charges under the Insolvency Act in relation to his bankruptcy.
He was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison but was released after just eight months and deported back to Germany. Since his release, Becker has resumed his old role as a pundit for Eurosport. And he is now back in the coaching game.
It comes at a tough time for Rune, who has won just won match since his run to the Wimbledon quarter-final in July. The 20-year-old had been struggling with a back injury and parted ways with previous coach Patrick Mouratoglou last month.
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