Before London Grand Final, Rune recalls his first UTS

Holger Rune is all set for the UTS Grand Final in London – but it won’t be his first time playing the competition!

Cast your mind back three years, and the then-17-year-old, ranked world No 827, stepped in to replace Matteo Berrettini, facing Corentin Moutet in the last match of the round-robin in July 2020 during UTS 1. At 17, he became the youngest male player in UTS history!

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Then top of the world in juniors, he lost 13-12, 17-12, 8-20, 7-15, 3-2 in sudden death to the Frenchman as he adapted to the high-octane pace and exciting rules.

“I was very close to winning the match,” he says. “It was a great experience for me to be able to play some of the top players at this moment. Definitely an experience I remember.”

Now he’s ranked eighth in the world, four-time titlist on the ATP Tour, and a three-time Grand Slam quarter-finalist, he’s returning to UTS for the end-of-year showpiece event – expecting a very different result.

“Unfortunately I didn’t get it, but I’m ready to go and get it now,” he adds.