Nobody could confuse Holger Rune for sportsman of the year. In his relatively young career, the 20-year-old from Denmark has been accused of taking officiating into his own hands, calling more than his fair share of tactical medical timeouts, making up bizarre stories about some of the kindest players on tour, and barking at his mother while she sat in the player’s box.
Rune has been nothing but transparent in forgoing niceties and sportsmanship in exchange for expediency to get to the top — something he’s fully earned at his current and career-high ranking of #6 in the world. It can be a refreshing attitude in a sport like tennis that is full of competitors who frequently brush on a few too many coats of varnish.
That is, until that rebellious opportunism comes off as cheating.
