Novak Djokovic’s key advice to World No. 10 Holger Rune that every rising star should hear

With the retirements of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic remains the last active member of the Big Three that dominated men’s tennis for over a decade. The Serbian star has enjoyed enormous success throughout his career, but his influence extends beyond the court—most notably in the way he’s mentored younger players, including Holger Rune.

“Definitely Novak has been really, really nice to me all my career,” Rune said during a press conference this week. The Danish player specifically recalled his first interactions with Djokovic at the 2019 Nitto ATP Finals, when he was just 16 years old and helped warm up the participating stars.

“He was really kind to me. He was giving me advice and stuff like that. I really appreciated that,” Holger said. “He’s obviously one of the best that we’ve had. It feels like a big privilege that he has been so nice.”

The current World No. 10 then spoke about one piece of advice from Djokovic that stood out. “One specific thing he told me… I think in general young players as they grow up, they get more power and they’re more excited about their power. I feel like sometimes you go for all or nothing,” Rune explained.

World No. 10 Holger Rune

“He said him, personally, he would suggest to me never to go more than 70, 80 percent on every shot, to make sure it’s safe enough, but still with good quality,” Holger revealed. “I think his game shows pretty good that he’s not risking much, but at the same time he has tremendous quality on his shots. That’s one thing he told me.”

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Rune vs Djokovic

Sixteen years separate Novak Djokovic from Rune, so much of the Serbian star’s career played out before Holger began his own professional journey. Still, the rapid rise of the Danish player has led to several head-to-head clashes in recent years.

In total, Djokovic and Rune have faced each other six times, with Novak holding a narrow 4–2 advantage. The former World No. 1 won both of their Grand Slam meetings—at the 2021 US Open and Wimbledon in 2024. However, Holger claimed the win in their only final matchup, at the 2022 Paris Masters 1000.

Rune targets Roland Garros

Despite his high standing in the current ATP Rankings, Holger Rune’s recent performances have fallen short of expectations. He was knocked out in the Round of 32 at the Rome Masters 1000 by Corentin Moutet and was forced to retire from his Madrid Open debut against Flavio Cobolli due to physical issues.

Given that context, the Danish player now looks to make a strong showing at Roland Garros. “Feeling good again,” he said in his pre-tournament press conference ahead of his opening match against Roberto Bautista Agut, according to Tennis.com. “It’s been not ideal clay preparation for me, but I’m happy to be here in Paris. It’s a tournament that I love so much… Had a good practice week so far, so I’m just looking forward to start.”