Tennis stars’ girlfriends are sometimes accused of being a distraction to their husbands on the court, and in recent months, Danish wonder kid Holger Rune has been the subject of this old narrative.
Rune made a stunning breakthrough at the top of the men’s game this time last year, when he found a scintillating run of form that saw him defeat Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final of the ATP 250 tournament in Stockholm and then go to the final in Basel.
He subsequently won the biggest win of his career, defeating Carlos Alcaraz and then Novak Djokovic in Paris to claim his maiden ATP 1000 championship, propelling him into the top ten of the world rankings.
Rune’s power-packed and high-risk approach established him as a legitimate danger to the league’s best stars, but he has failed to maintain those astonishingly high standards in 2023.
That drop in fortunes should not surprise a 20-year-old who is still adjusting to life as a top 10 star, with his recent poor form being a predicted scenario for such a young player. Since reaching the Wimbledon quarter-finals in July, Rune has won just one match in his previous six tournaments, including an alarming number of first-round defeats. If Rune continues this trajectory in the remaining events of 2023, he will fall out of the top 10 of the ATP rankings, since he has a lot of points to protect following his blistering finish to last season.
However, Rune’s life has altered in the last year, which may explain why he is taking his time adjusting to his new normal, with girlfriend Caroline Donzella now playing an important role in his life. Donzella has previously dated Italian soccer international Andrea Petagna, making this her second high-profile relationship. She has already started a relationship with Rune, who has already won nearly $6 million in his nascent tennis career.
Rune was beaten in his first match in this week’s Nordic Open and he was asked whether his girlfriend is a factor in his dip in form.
Nobody is to blame for the end results. It is my fault. “It has nothing to do with her,” Rune stated in a video posted to Expressen. “Carol is not to fault. That is solely my duty. People only want to search for external variables and blame others, but only I am accountable.”
The suggestion that a new girlfriend could be a distraction for a tennis player is not a new angle for the media to follow, with Stefanos Tsitsipas faced with similar questions after he started a high-profile relationship with fellow tennis player Paula Badosa.
Happiness off the court should be a recipe for success on it and it is clear that Rune is aiming to get his results back on track quickly after he made a high-profile change to his backroom team for the final tournaments of 2023, with three-time former Wimbledon champion Boris Becker installed as his coach.
Becker, who has previously worked with Novak Djokovic and is returning to tennis after completing a prison time in England for tax fraud, is excited about the opportunity to work with Rune.
I can confirm that I am Holger Rune’s coach,” Becker exclusively told Eurosport Germany’s podcast.
“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.
“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.
Holger then asked me to a training week in Monte Carlo. I also had a long conversation with his mother, Aneke, and his performance coach, Lapo Becherini. From now on, all three of us will be responsible for Holger. Unfortunately, due to previously scheduled appointments, I will be unable to attend the competition in Stockholm this week.
