
Holger Rune on training with Andre Agassi: Never met a guy who sees tennis that way, found it interesting
Rune announced himself as one of the sport's most promising young talents three years ago by winning his first Masters title in Paris after beating four top-10 players and defeating Novak Djokovic in the final.
However, the 22-year-old has had limited success since, winning just two more titles and failing to advance beyond the quarter-final stage at the Grand Slams.
With fellow young guns Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner now dominating the game's biggest events, Rune turned to American great Agassi earlier this month in Washington for a three-day training block.
'It was insane. I've never met a guy who sees tennis that way and I found it interesting,' Rune told the Tennis Channel at the Canadian Open in Toronto.
READ | Canadian Open: Swiatek cruises, Osaka battles, Bouchard says goodbye in Montreal
'He makes things simple on the court. Sometimes tennis can be a difficult sport and sometimes it can be a very easy sport. There's always a reason why it's this or that.
'Some of the advice he gave me was very helpful. To share those three days, for him to get a look at my game, it was just amazing. My coach Lars (Christensen) appreciated it too, they talked a little bit and we're still in touch.'
Rune said Agassi's tactics had struck a chord with him even though the Dane never watched him play growing up.
'I've watched so many YouTube clips with him on how he was taking the ball early,' Rune added.
'It was so clear to see how he was making life easy for himself on the court ... it was a bit before my time so I didn't grow up watching Andre. But to look back at how tennis was then was really interesting to see.'
Rune beat Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in Toronto and next plays Alexandre Muller as he builds up for the August 24-September 7 US Open.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Indian Express
26 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Trump revives the Presidential Fitness Test, a rite of passage for schoolchildren for decades
President Donald Trump on Thursday reestablished the Presidential Fitness Test for American children, a fixture of public schools for decades that gauged young people's health and athleticism with 1-mile runs, sit-ups and stretching exercises. 'This is a wonderful tradition, and we're bringing it back,' Trump said of the fitness test that began in 1966 but was phased out during the Obama administration. An executive order he signed Thursday also reinvigorates a national sports council that the president stocked with former and current athletes and other figures from the sports world. Several prominent athletes joined Trump and top administration officials, including allies such as friend and pro golfer Bryson DeChambeau; and others who've attracted controversy such as former New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor, a registered sex offender. It's the latest athletics-related push from Trump, an avid golfer who remains enthralled with the world of sports. He played baseball in high school and plays golf almost every weekend. Much of the domestic travel he has done this year that is not related to weekend golf games at his clubs in Florida, New Jersey and Virginia was built around attending sporting events, including the Super Bowl, Daytona 500 and UFC matches. 'I was always a person that loved playing sports. I was good at sports,' Trump said. 'When you are really focused on sports, you've thought about nothing else. To an extent, this is one of the reasons I like golf. You get away for a couple of hours.' The announcement also came as Trump readies the United States to host the 2025 Ryder Cup, 2026 FIFA World Cup games and the 2028 Summer Olympics. He also signed a different executive order earlier this month mandating that federal authorities clarify whether college athletes can be considered employees of the schools they play for. Trump on Thursday said the council, known formally as the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, will also deal with various issues on college athletics, such as the transfer portal that has more easily allowed athletes to switch from school to school. The council, which will have up to 30 members, will also develop criteria for a Presidential Fitness Award. The fitness test will be administered by his health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. In the test, children had to run and perform situps, pullups or pushups and a sit-and-reach test, but the program changed in 2012. It evolved into the Youth Fitness Program, which the government said 'moved away from recognizing athletic performance to providing a barometer on student's health.' Then-first lady Michelle Obama also promoted her 'Let's Move' initiative focused on reducing childhood obesity through diet and exercise. The Youth Fitness Test, according to a Health and Human Services Department website last updated in 2023 but still online Thursday, 'minimizes comparisons between children and instead supports students as they pursue personal fitness goals for lifelong health.' Among those who joined Trump on Thursday, in addition to DeChambeau and Taylor, were Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker; Swedish golfer Annika Sorenstam; and WWE chief content officer Paul 'Triple H' Levesque, the son-in-law of Trump's education secretary, Linda McMahon. Taylor, who has appeared on stage with Trump at campaign rallies, pleaded guilty in New York in 2011 to misdemeanor criminal charges of sexual misconduct. He was sentenced to six years of probation and ordered to register as a sex offender. He was arrested in 2021 in Broward County, Florida, and charged with failing to report a change of residence as a sex offender. He later pleaded no contest to an amended charge, was ordered to pay $261 in court fees, and the case was closed, court records show. 'I'm just proud to be on this team,' Taylor said as he briefly took the microphone at the signing. 'I don't know why, I don't know what we're supposed to be doing, but I'm here to serve. And I'm here to serve you.' The NFL distanced itself from comments Butker made last year during a commencement address at a Kansas college, when he said most of the women receiving degrees were probably more excited about getting married and having children than entering the workforce and that some Catholic leaders were 'pushing dangerous gender ideologies onto the youth of America.' Butker also assailed Pride Month and railed against Democratic President Joe Biden's stance on abortion. Butker later formed a political action committee designed to encourage Christians to vote for what the PAC describes as 'traditional values.' Sorenstam faced backlash for accepting the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Trump on Jan. 7, 2021, the day after rioters spurred by Trump's false claims about his election loss to Biden stormed the Capitol in Washington. Other well-known figures in athletics are on the council but did not attend the event Thursday. They include retired golfers Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, hockey legend Wayne Gretzky and Roger Goodell, commissioner of the National Football League. The return of the exam brought mixed reactions from some who study exercise. Trump is putting a welcome focus on physical activity, but a test alone won't make America's children healthier, said Laura Richardson, a kinesiology professor at the University of Michigan. The exam is only a starting point that should be paired with lessons to help all students improve, she said. 'It's not just, you get a score and you're doomed,' said Richardson, whose teaching focuses on obesity. 'But you get a score, and we can figure out a program that really helps the improvement.'
&w=3840&q=100)

First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
Carlsen's finger-on-lips gesture steals show as he beats Nakamura in thrilling semis at Esports World Cup: ‘It pissed me off'
Magnus Carlsen showcased some high-quality chess under time pressure to beat Hikaru Nakamura in the semi-finals of the Esports World Cup 2025 and hit back at the crowd celebrating the American GM with a stunning finger-on-lips gesture. read more World No.1 chess player Magnus Carlsen can be very brutal at times and the dominant side of the highest-rated player of all time came out during his semi-finals with close friend Hikaru Nakamura at the Esports World Cup 2025, played at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Thursday. After beating India's Nihal Sarin 2.5-0.5 in the quarter-finals, Team Liquid's Carlsen was up against his closest rival, world No.2 Nakamura, who is representing Team Falcons. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With young prodigy Alireza Firouzja and Nakamura in their team, Team Falcons, who hail from Saudi Arabia, have one of the strongest chess sides in the ongoing Esports World Cup 2025. Falcons have proved their worth with Firouzja beating India's Arjun Erigaisi 4-1 and reaching the final. It could have been an all-Team Falcons final, but Nakamura needed to overcome the Magnus challenge in the semi-finals. The American Grandmaster put up a thrilling fight, forcing the match into an Armageddon. Only for the five-time chess world champion, Magnus Carlsen, to triumph 4-3. The semi-finals were played in the best-of-six format as Carlsen won the first game and was leading in the second game before losing control. However, Nakumara failed to find a win and took a draw by repetition. Carlsen hists back at crowd with finger-on-lips gesture The tables were turned in the third game as Nakamura became the first player to win a game against Magnus at the Esports World Cup, as he trapped Carlsen's queen after playing the King's Indian Defense. This result was momentous and the local Team Falcons fans in the arena cheered vociferously, celebrating Nakamura's infliction of the first loss of the tournament on Carlsen. But the thing with Magnus is that he never forgets a loss, or the crowd behaviour in this case. Nakamura plays the KID, traps Carlsen's queen and inflicts the 1st loss on Magnus of the #EsportsWorldCup to level the scores at 1.5-1.5 with 3 games to go! — chess24 (@chess24com) July 31, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He launched a strong comeback in Game 4 and just as he played 34…a4!, Carlsen realised he was winning. This was followed by a finger-on-lips gesture towards the fans by Carlsen as he stamped his authority in the arena by winning the fourth match. 'It pissed me off when they cheered when Hikaru was winning,' Carlsen would later say, sharing the reason behind the finger-on-lips gesture. Magnus silences the crowd and drops some bars at EWC🤫🗣️ — Take Take Take (@TakeTakeTakeApp) July 31, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Game 5 ended in a quiet draw before Nakamura made a comeback in the final game to force the Armageddon decider. It was decided by a blunder from Nakamura as Carlsen walked into the final against Firouzja. Nakamura will now take on Erigaisi in the third-place match. The winner will get $145,000 (approximately Rs 1.27 crore) prize money, while Carlsen has a chance to take home $250,000 (approximately Rs 2.17 crore) as the winner of the competition. Carlsen on beating Nakamura, facing Firouzja in Esports World Cup final 'I guess it was a combination of both. Obviously this is a match that got out of control completely and it really could have gone either way. It was a total coin flip towards the end. But I pulled through. I would say, I am also happy because at some point, if you play like one bad game and ruin it because of that, that's the only thing, but I played a lot of poor games. Really could have gone either way, so I am super happy,' Carlsen told Take Take Take, reflecting on the see-saw battle against Nakamura in the semi-finals. 'When the bracket broke the way it did, I was quite sure that Alireza would dispatch off his side of the bracket and I would have to beat them both, so that's fair enough. You usually have to beat your main contenders to win. If I win, I will definitely earn a lot of money; if he wins…' 'Team Liquid really needs this (cheering for their players) in the team championship. There are reasons to be relieved for a lot of people. Hopefully, I can give them more to cheer and be relieved tomorrow.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD


News18
2 hours ago
- News18
Toronto Masters: Alex Michelsen Shocks Lorenzo Musetti, Casper Ruud Downs Nuno Borges
Last Updated: American Michelsen held his nerve to register a 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 win against the Italian and reach the fourth round of the ATP event in Toronto. Alex Michelsen emerged triumphant in a hard-fought battle against Lorenzo Musetti to register a 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 upset win over the third-seeded Italian on Thursday. American Michelsen held his nerve to close out the game against the Italian on his seventh match point to reach the fourth round of the ATP event in Toronto. The win marked Michelsen's second over a top-10 ranked player and helped him reach the last 16 of a Masters 1000 for the first time in his career. 'It feels really good," Michelsen said following the victory. 'I've put in a lot of hard work and it's paying off a little bit," he continued. 'I was wondering when it would happen and I guess it is starting to happen right now." 'I returned really well today," he added. 'I played offensive tennis and executed really well," the American added. Eighth-seeded Casper Ruud overcame a slow start to beat Portugal's Nuno Borges 7-5, 6-4. The Norwegian was playing only his fourth match since Roland Garros, having missed Wimbledon due to injury. Trailing 4-1 in the first set, Ruud saved Borges's two chances for a 5-1 lead, methodically improving his game and taking control with a late break before securing the only break of the second set for his 20th win of the season. 'I just crawled into the first set," said Ruud. 'I was able to get back into it. One break and things can happen. I raised my return game and got more balls back into play," the Norwegian added. 'In the second set I got the break and served my way through," he said. Ruud, who fell to Borges at Roland Garros in May, got his revenge with the triumph in Canada and will take on Karen Khachanov in the subsequent round. 'It was nice to get my revenge," said Ruud. Khachanov, got the better of US qualifier Emilio Nava 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 6-1 to book his second Masters round of 16 spot this season. Ruud and Khachanov last played in a 2022 US Open semi-final won by the Norwegian. view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.