Holger Rune does not consider himself one of the top favorites to win the 2023 Roland Garros, despite defeating Novak Djokovic at the Italian Open. Rune has had an impressive season thus far, and many are expecting a strong performance from him at the 2023 French Open. However, the young player still places other competitors ahead of himself.
Who Rune Considers as Favorites for the French Open
After defeating Djokovic 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 in the quarterfinals of the Rome Masters on May 17, Rune was asked about his thoughts on potential favorites for the upcoming French Open. He responded by stating, “I mean, if Rafa is ready, Novak, I still see those two as the biggest favorites. Obviously, there is Alcaraz also. There’s Sinner. There are a couple of other guys that also did well in the clay season here this year. I see it may be more open this year than the other years. It’s interesting. It makes it more fun. We’ll see.”
Rafael Nadal’s Potential Absence from the French Open
Rune, like many other competitors, may have a slightly easier path in this year’s French Open due to Rafael Nadal potentially withdrawing from the tournament due to injury, as reported by “Relevo.” The Danish player recently stated that his goal is to win more French Opens than Nadal, who currently holds the record with 14 titles in Paris. “I actually got asked this question couple of days ago. I’m just going to say first I have to start with one and we see (smiling),” said the World No. 7.
Rune’s Goals for the 2023 Season
Rune’s best Grand Slam result to date is reaching the quarterfinals of the 2022 French Open. His goal for this year is to win a Slam title. He explained, “I want to win a Grand Slam this year. That’s what I’ve said in the past, and I stick to that. Obviously, I hope it can be achieved at the French Open. If not, I hope to make it in the other two Grand Slams. First, we start with one, then we see.”
Having already made such an impact on the tennis world, it will be interesting to see how Holger Rune’s career continues to develop and whether he can achieve his goal of winning a Grand Slam title in 2023.
