Australian Open: Rune takes baby steps to being the man

One of the tour’s most promising players is trying to grow up fast.

Holger Rune goes close to losing his cool against Yoshihito Nishioka Picture: Getty Images

Well played, you big baby.

Holger Rune is a belligerent young fellow from Denmark. He earned the ire of Stan Wawrinka at the 2022 Paris Masters. Stan The Man lost in three cantankerous sets, held Rune’s handshake, pulled him close like he was a Mafia standover man warning about swimming with the fishies and whispered, “My advice to you is that you stop acting like a baby on the court, OK?”

You could see where The Man was coming from. Rune was rocking, rolling and roaring up the rankings while displaying a fondness for throwing all his toys and racquets out of the cot. Most folks on the tour reckon Rune isn’t a bad kid at all. They say he’s just desperate to start winning majors like his junior rival and longtime mate, Carlos Alcaraz, and setbacks can make him spit the dummy. Perhaps the Australian Open will unveil a new man. Or perhaps the baby business will be back in business, baby.

He’s dressed like a beefed-up Bart Simpson. The legs are big and strong. The shorts are uniquely small. He hitches them up even further. He wears a ­singlet, the cap is backwards, you could put him in a Richard Simmons 1980s fitness video. Bart’s best quotes included, “Don’t have a cow, man”, and “Eat my shorts”. Both applicable.

Rune plays full-on tennis. Brutal tennis. Game of Thrones tennis. Clubs the ball. Beats Yoshihito Nishioka 6-2 4-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-4. The Japanese left-hander seems only mildly interested in the opening set. It’s too hot for him. He’s faint-hearted. Not exactly fighting tooth and nail. The big-striding Rune stomps around like a Nordic warrior. Swings his ­Babolat like a battle axe. Oh, baby. He’s the business.

This’ll be quick. Nishioka smites back, strikes back. This’ll take a while. Rune’s prowling, scowling, muttering to himself, looking at his toys as if one of them might go up against a wall. Nishioka’s suddenly competing like Fighting Harada and takes the second set. Rune might have a cow after all. Starts gesticulating. Swearing. Moping. Racquet-throwing. He’s irritated. Impatient. Tired. Needs his bottle. Pulls himself into line. Just. Proves resilient. Just. Plays tough enough. Just. Wins. You’d give him a six out of 10, but the ­potential is limitless.

“It was tough today,” he said. “Conditions were hot and dry. It was difficult to find the right ­patience. The third set was very important. It was back and forth. He had his chances, I had mine. I was fighting away and played some very good tennis at the end.”

Rune needs to mature in certain regards. Just not too much, OK? It’ll be a shame if he loses the heart-on-sleeve volatility. Tennis needs some Supercars-style banter and passion and animosity. When Stan The Man was triumphant over the beefed-up Bart Simpson at the Indian Wells Masters but stayed quiet at the handshake, the big baby said, “You’ve got nothing to say now?” Love it. Love-ins are for date night. Majors are mano a mano. Rip in.