The Dane has plenty of self-belief but that, he says, is not enough.
©Nicolas Gouhier / FFTWorld No.6 Holger Rune says he is daring to dream about winning his first Grand Slam title at Roland-Garros this year.
The 20-year-old Dane cruised into the fourth round for the second year in a row, beating Argentina's Genaro Alberto Olivieri 6-4, 6-1, 6-3 and now faces either Taylor Fritz or Francisco Cerundolo in the last 16.
“I think we all dream, no?” Rune told reporters. "Sometimes I have very good dreams that I stand there with the trophy and stuff, but then when you wake up, you're, like, oh, s***, I'm just in bed.
“But then when you actually make the dream a reality it feels even better, because then you remember, oh, that's actually what I dreamt about. You know, in this case [it] can be fun.”
Rune has a title to his name on clay this year having defended his crown in Munich, and also reached the finals in Monte-Carlo and Rome. One of the most confident players on tour, the belief he can go all the way is growing.
Asked if he knows he can win here or just thinks he can, Rune said: “Time will show. We'll see. Obviously I believe I can. But again, I have to play my best tennis, be in my best state of mind to do it, and I have to take one match at a time.
“Luckily I haven't used too much unnecessary energy during the tournament so far. I still think I can play better, which is good. I'm in the fourth round and I can play better, so it's a good thing. But obviously the matches are going to get harder and harder from now so I have to step up also.
“I believe, but also you cannot only believe; you have to make it happen. Time will show.”
© Andre Ferreira/FFTHaving been given a walkover in round two when Gael Monfils withdrew through injury, Rune said he feels fresh as he approaches the second week, helped by the fact that he has another talent: sleeping.
“I sleep a lot,” Rune said with a smile. “I love to sleep. I probably sleep, around, I don't know, nine to 13 hours if I can.
“It's a lot. I really like it. I think it's the best recovery that you can have. I actually think the muscles relax, everything relaxes when you sleep, so I try to, you know, every time I can sleep. Then when I'm awake I'm fully awake.”
© Corinne Dubreuil/FFTDespite the extra recovery he gained by not having to play in the second round, Rune attempted to replicate match day by practising hard instead of playing Monfils.
“I think if you play the second match you keep the rhythm,” he said. “You get into the matches and try to work on your game every day. But [on] the other hand I see it as a good thing because I got to rest my body fully and got a few more practice days to adjust to things I wanted to do better.
“Today I think I played better than the first match, so I'm happy.”
ROLAND-GARROS
19 May - 8 June 2025
