Holger Rune mocks Stefanos Tsitsipas from afar as Denmark demolishes Greece in 2026 World Cup qualifiers

Holger Rune mocked his fellow player Stefanos Tsitsipas as Greece faced a defeat by Denmark at the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers. Rune was in contention at the Shanghai Masters, where he was ousted by the eventual champion, Valentin Vacherot, in the quarterfinals.

Holger Rune began his Asian hard swing with the Japan Open, reaching the quarterfinals but falling to Jenson Brooksby in straight sets. He next played in Shanghai and suffered the same fate. Before he competes at the Stockholm Open opening round on October 15, 2025, the Dane shifted his attention to the football field.

He attended the World Cup qualifiers between Denmark and Greece and cheered on his home team from the stands. As Denmark defeated Greece 3–0, Rune shared a video of the football squad celebrating their win, with the national anthem playing as the home crowd joined in.

During the celebrations, he mockingly called out to Greek player Stefanos Tsitsipas, urging him to show up to see his team standing defeated on the field.

"Denmark vs Greece. Where are you @steftsitsipas," he wrote on his X.

Tsitsipas has been suffering from a persistent leg injury that prompted him to withdraw from the recently concluded Shanghai Masters. He was scheduled to face Czech qualifier Dalibor Svrcina, but pulled out before the match-up. The Greek has also struggled with back issues, but, despite the physical challenges, he will participate in the Six Kings Slam, slated from October 15 to 18, 2025.

Holger Rune once expressed frustrations about extreme heat conditions at the Shanghai Masters

Rune at the 2025 Shanghai Rolex Masters - Day 11 - Source: Getty

Several players this year have protested against the tight tour schedules and various other issues on the ATP Tour. Some of them even withdrew from a couple of tournaments to rest up for the more important events of the year. Another factor that garnered frustrations from players was the weather, especially at the Shanghai Masters, where the heat was too much to bear.

Holger Rune, after he advanced to the third round with a win over Ugo Humbert, a video of him complaining about the extreme heat in Shanghai made the rounds on the internet. While sitting bare-bodied and taking sips of water, the Dane asked why the ATP hasn't introduced any heat rule yet.

"Why ATP doesn't have a heat rule? You want a player to die on the court?"

The 22-year-old reached the quarterfinals of three Grand Slams, the 2022 and 2023 French Open, and the 2023 Wimbledon.

Edited by Agnijeeta Majumder