"Jannik Sinner & Carlos Alcaraz won't say this nonsense" - Fans slam Holger Rune over 'egoistic' take after shock Wimbledon 1R exit

Holger Rune bizarrely claimed that in peak physical condition, he would beat Nicolas Jarry on nine occasions out of ten. The Dane made the bold claim in the aftermath of his shocking five-set loss to Jarry in the first-round of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships. However, many tennis fans were irked by Rune's take, and they proceeded to lash out at the Dane.

On Monday, June 30, Rune established a two-set lead against Jarry and seemed to be in total control of the match. Unfortunately for the ATP No. 8, a knee injury flare-up came into the equation and played spoilsport, severely restricting his court coverage, and Jarry took full advantage to win the contest 4-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.

At his post-match press conference, a clearly frustrated Holger Rune said at one point:

"In normal conditions I would win 9 of 10 matches against him (Jarry)"

The 22-year-old's take though, didn't impress tennis fans on X (formerly Twitter). One fan opined that Rune's high-profile rivals, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and the second-ranked Carlos Alcaraz, would never make such statements after losses, irrespective of what the reasons are behind their defeats.

"Always the inconsistent ones that talk too much in tennis, players like Sinner and Alcaraz won't even say this nonsense," the fan wrote.

Other fans brought up Alexander Zverev and Aryna Sabalenka, who have both aired similar sentiments in the past when questioned about their losses and/or form.

"That sounds like something Zverev would say," suggested one fan. "Doing "a Sabalenka"," another added.

Here's a few more reactions from fans to Rune's controversial take:

"Number one in excuses 😭😭 I watched peak Jarry at the AO against my GOAT he’s simply better than Rune," one opined. "Average player. HUGE ego," another chimed in. "What a pussy," weighed in yet another fan.

The loss to Jarry means Rune's wait for a maiden Major title goes on.

Holger Rune, once rated in same bracket as Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, is yet to reach the semifinals at a Grand Slam

Holger Rune (Source: Getty)

There was a time in the not-too-distant past when Holger Rune was regarded as a player who, alongside Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, would fill the void in men's tennis left by the now-extinguished 'Big Three' rivalry of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

Sinner and Alcaraz have definitely stepped up, and the results of the last six Majors are proof of that. The Italian clinched back-to-back Australian Open titles in 2024 and 2025 and also won last year's US Open. The Spaniard won last year's French Open and Wimbledon, and successfully defended his Roland Garros title this year.

However, Holger Rune has never made it past the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam. So far in his career, the Dane has reached the last eight at the French Open on two occasions (2022 and 2023) and Wimbledon once (2023).

Edited by Sudipto Pati