Rafael Nadal and Holger Rune are the first winners of this year’s ATP awards. The Spanish legend secured his first Fans’ Favourite ATP award, taking it from Roger Federer, who had been the fans’ pick between 2003 and 2021!
The 19-year-old Holger Rune was the favorite for the Newcomer Of The Year, and he earned it to celebrate the first of many ATP awards! Holger kicked off the season from outside the top-100 and finished in the 11th position.
The young Dane cracked the top-10 following the Paris Masters and wrapped up the year just outside the elite group. Rune did not impress in the season’s opening three months, and it all changed on clay. The Dane claimed the San Remo Challenger trophy before lifting his first ATP title a few weeks later in Munich.
Holger toppled Stefanos Tsitsipas at Roland Garros en route to his first Major quarter-final, making a name for himself and cracking the top-30. Holger lost ten of the next 12 matches and before reaching the US Open third round.
Rune entered Sofia at the end of September and delivered four impressive weeks that sent him toward the top! Rune lost the Sofia Open final before winning the second ATP title in Stockholm over Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Dane reached the third consecutive final in Basel and fell to Felix Auger-Aliassime after a solid effort in the second set.
A teenager saved the best for last, finishing the season in Paris and writing history books. Holger saved match points against Stan Wawrinka in the opening round and gained a massive boost. The Dane delivered five consecutive top-10 victories at a single tournament as the only player in ATP history to lift the trophy and crack the top-10!
Holger met a six-time Paris Masters champion Novak Djokovic in the final and delivered a notable 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 triumph in two hours and 33 minutes. Thus, Holger became the fourth-youngest Masters 1000 champion after Michael Chang, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz.
Holger Rune earned the Newcomer Of The Year ATP award.
Rune defended ten out of 12 break points, including six in the encounter’s last game while serving for the title. Holger landed 43 winners and 33 unforced errors and outplayed Novak in the baseline exchanges to write history books.
Djokovic served well in the opener, dropping five points in five service games and delivering a break in game four after the rival’s double faults. Novak wrapped up the set in game nine and created break chances at the start of the second set.
Rune fended them off and scored his first break in game two for an early advantage. The young gun served well in the rest of the set and closed it 6-3 to introduce a decider after 80 minutes. Novak started all over and broke Holger in game four.
The Serb served in the next one and squandered a game point that could have pushed him 4-1 ahead. Instead, Rune broke back with a forehand crosscourt winner and leveled the score at 3-3 in the next one. The youngster held after deuces in game eight for 4-4 and created a break chance in game 11 after Djokovic’s loose backhand.
Novak placed a forehand wide to lose serve and fall 6-5 behind. The 12th game saw a real roller coaster, and Djokovic created six break points in the last push to extend the battle. After challenging 17 minutes, Rune saved them with brave hitting and seized the second match point to celebrate his first Masters 1000 crown.
