PARIS — Danish 19-year-old Holger Rune came back from a set down to stun Novak Djokovic in the final of the Paris Masters for his first ATP 1000 title.
Rune won 3-6 6-3 7-5 after two hours and 33 minutes to deny Djokovic his seventh Paris Masters trophy and secure the biggest win of his fledgling career so far.
A pair of double faults from the teenager allowed Djokovic to break in the fourth game of the match, and the defending champion held comfortably on his way to a first-set success.
“It means everything to me, a perfect way to finish the week,” said Rune. “It’s a privilege to share the court with Novak.”
Rune was playing in his fourth consecutive ATP Tour final and has now won 19 of his past 21 matches. The Dane’s title run in Paris lifts him to a career-high No. 10 in the ATP Rankings.
“I’m feeling lovely to be honest, it’s the best feeling,” said Rune. “If you told me four weeks ago, I would be Top 10. Now I’m here and I’m super proud.”
The win against Djokovic also made it five Top 10 wins in as many days for Rune, who moved past Hubert Hurkacz, Andrey Rublev, Carlos Alcaraz and Felix Auger-Aliassime to reach his first Masters 1000 final.
Those victories followed a thrilling first-round win in which he saved three match points against Stan Wawrinka, and Rune was delighted to have held his nerve in another nail-biting clash against Djokovic.
“It was the most stressful game of my life,” said the Dane of the marathon 12th game of the third set. “My heart was almost in my brain. I was already starting to think about the tie-break. I’m very proud I could finish it.”
It is the first time Djokovic has lost in 31 Masters 1000 finals when he has won the first set. While Rune’s all-around game has excelled across his recent run, his ability to compete against the Serbian’s renowned backhand was key to his remarkable final recovery.
The Dane struck 17 winners off that wing to Djokovic’s six in his two-hour, 33-minute victory, and the disparity is reflected in tennis data analysis for the match.
The first break of the third set would go Djokovic’s way on another double fault from Rune, who got back on serve straight away before the 35-year-old needed a medical timeout for an apparent leg issue.
Djokovic would return to the court, but Rune took advantage of his opponent’s physical woes to move 6-5 up with another break in the 11th game, and he amazingly saved six break points in the final game to clinch the Paris Masters crown.
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