A topsy-turvy year has Holger Rune hungry for a strong finish to the season.

In the first half of 2023, Rune saved four championship points to triumph in Munich, sandwiched in between final appearances at the ATP Masters 1000 events in Monte-Carlo and Rome. But following his Wimbledon quarter-final run, the World No. 7 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings has won just four of his past 12 matches.

Perhaps there is no better place to find his best form than at this week’s Rolex Paris Masters, where he is aiming to defend the title.

“It’s a good fight. It’s the last push of the season,” Rune told the ATP Podcast in Paris. “I’m really ready to give it my all and then prepare for the next one.”

One change Rune has made is hiring a new coach, six-time major champion Boris Becker. In their first tournament together last week in Basel, Rune made the semi-finals before falling to eventual champion Felix Auger-Aliassime.

“It’s been great working so far with Boris, what we’re working on is what you see on the court,” Rune said. “There were a few adjustments that we made to be able to come back on track a little bit more. And I think that I was willing to do those small changes. I played some better tennis [in Basel] and I was fighting very well. Obviously didn’t find my best level still, but I’m definitely building up more.”

Boasting a 41-21 season record, the 20-year-old Dane believes this coaching change will bring positive results.

“[I think] the more peace and quietness there is around a tennis player or an athlete, the better they can perform and if it’s less, the more tough it is to keep the focus,” Rune said. “It was definitely tough for me to be the best version of myself and that’s not good for any athlete.”

The sixth seed Rune is guaranteed to play a former major champion in his Paris opener as he awaits the winner of Stan Wawrinka and Dominic Thiem. Sitting at eighth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, Rune needs a strong week in France to hold off a list of players such as Hubert Hurkacz, Taylor Fritz and Casper Ruud, who all are battling for the critical eighth position in the Nitto ATP Finals. 

Should Rune qualify for Turin, the four-time tour-level titlist would make his Nitto ATP Finals debut. Last year, Rune was the first alternate at the prestigious year-end event.

“Last year, it would have been great to make it, but I didn’t expect to make it at all. Before the last three tournaments, I was not even near so it was a big push that I made,” Rune said. “Then all of a sudden, it was possible to make it. But during this tournament, I also didn’t think about it because I played Top 10 guys every match.

“It just kind of happened and I’m trying to do the same now, don’t try or anything to seek that, but just do everything I can on the court and at the end hope to make it.”

After notching a first-round win in Shanghai last month, Arthur Fils paused to sign the TV camera near the umpire’s chair, as is customary at many ATP Tour events. The #NextGenATP star’s message, ‘Moving Like La Monf’, was as much for his good friend and fellow Frenchman, Gael Monfils, as it was for fans watching at home.

“[It referred to] everything,” Fils told ATPTour.com last week when asked exactly what he had meant by his camera salute to Monfils. “I mean, on the court I’m trying to move like him. He is 37 years old, and he is moving like a god. And of course, [off court] he’s a smooth guy, walking nicely and everything, so I’m doing it like him.”

Fils’ message caught the attention of the man himself.

“It was very nice for me, to be honest,” said Monfils, who earlier this month lifted his 12th ATP Tour title in Stockholm. “I was flattered.”

It’s all in the name 🇫🇷

Arthur Fils x @Gael_Monfils
#RolexShanghaiMasters | @SH_RolexMasters pic.twitter.com/aXIInm0hld

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 5, 2023

Fils’ tribute in Shanghai came just weeks after both he and Monfils had represented Team Europe at the Laver Cup. Despite already being good friends, both players enjoyed the opportunity to spend an extended period together at this year’s edition of the annual teams’ event, held in Vancouver.

“It was unbelievable, because he’s like a big brother to me,” said Fils. “To be with him, to be close with him, to talk with him during all five days was very nice. I’m really happy about his title [in Stockholm], because he played unbelievable, and I’m really happy to watch him winning again. I think he will be back very soon with a top ranking.”

Monfils reflected: “I got to spend more time with him, because he’s brand new to the Tour and Vancouver was really the first time we could spend a lot of time together. That was great to spend time with [Arthur] the person, and with all the players.”

Laver Cup 2023″ />

_{^{Fils and Monfils (middle) with Hubert Hurkacz and Andrey Rublev at the Laver Cup. Photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty for Laver Cup.}}

While the age gap between the two might naturally make Monfils something of a ‘mentor’ for Fils, the former World No. 6 says that his young countryman possesses many of the off-court characteristics he has always valued highly.

“With some players, we knew each other from a young age, so we grew up together,” said Monfils. “With [Arthur], we have a massive gap. He’s the age of my little sister, so I couldn’t have this chance to spend time with him.

“[Laver Cup] was great. I love the person he is. That’s the most important stuff for me. He’s unbelievable [on the court], of course. But he’s a young man, very nice, very kind, very polite, and that’s what matters for me.”

Fils is one of a host of #NextGenATP Frenchman making great strides on the ATP Tour. The 19-year-old, who is currently fifth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Jeddah, looks almost certain to reach the season-ending Next Gen ATP Finals, for which his countrymen Luca Van Assche and Arthur Cazaux are also in qualification contention.

It was in this context, as one member of a group of promising juniors, that the 12-time ATP Tour titlist Monfils first came across his young countryman. The 37-year-old, who has been one of the spearheads of French tennis for nearly two decades, recalls Fils being touted for a bright future from early on.

“As a junior, a lot of people were pointing out his name,” said Monfils. “Of course, not just focused on him, because there was a group of young kids and Arthur was a part of this. It was pretty cool. At Roland Garros he was in the [2021 Boys’ Singles] final against Luca [Van Assche].

“When I went to Paris to practise, I met him. We practised together for the first time. As always, you know, when you’re a bit older, you chat with younger players and always tell them, if they have any questions, don’t hesitate.”

Perhaps Fils’ reputation as a big talent explains why he Monfils did not offer him much time to settle when the pair first hit together at France’s National Tennis Centre.

“We practised together once, when I was probably 15 or 16. I remember that he was hitting the ball so hard,” recalled Fils, before cracking a smile. “I don’t know why, maybe he was trying to show me his paw!”

Fils’ earned his first Pepperstone ATP Ranking point at the age of 16 and has not had to wait long to build considerably on that early achievement. A year ago, the then-18-year-old was the World No. 308 and had never played a tour-level match. This week, Fils will compete at the Rolex Paris Masters at a career-high No. 36, having lifted his first ATP Tour crown in Lyon in May and reached another tour-level championship match in Antwerp earlier this month.

“I saw him doing his thing, trying to get up the rankings, and [I was] following him with a lot of interest,” said Monfils of Fils. “[I was] quite happy to see a kid who is something special be that strong that early. We met up at some tournaments, on some occasions, and then we started to get to know each other better.”

Arthur Fils” />

_{^{Arthur Fils in action earlier this month in Shanghai. Photo: Peter Staples/ATP Tour.}}

Although many of the younger Frenchmen on Tour have quickly established themselves as his rivals at the top of the game, the 37-year-old Monfils continues to offer advice whenever his countrymen may ask for it. Fils certainly hopes that Monfils’ return to the winners’ circle in Stockholm is a sign that there is plenty yet to come from one of the Tour’s great entertainers.

“It’s very nice, because he’s giving so much experience,” said Fils. “He’s helping us a lot… It’s very nice to have him on the Tour and I think he is going to stay for a bit longer now.”

With his Lyon title run, the then-18-year-old Fils became the youngest French ATP Tour champion since Monfils won in Sopot in 2005, and he has shown little sign of being overawed by success at such a young age. Monfils believes his younger colleague has all the tools to find his own path.

“In a way, I really want to protect him a little bit,” said Monfils.” It’s tough, because we of course all know he has a massive potential, and we say it. So, this puts a little bit of pressure [on him], and we don’t want to put [him under] pressure, because I want him to be him.

“He’s going to write his own story, though, and I’m sure he will do unbelievable stuff.”

Hugo Dellien endured double duty Sunday to triumph at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Curitiba, Brazil while Lukas Klein saved two championship points to claim the title in Ortisei, Italy.

After rain forced Dellien to play his semi-final and final match on Sunday, the 30-year-old survived two deciding-set matches to return to the winners’ circle. The Bolivian rallied past Argentine Guido Andreozzi in a two-hour, 47-minute semi-final before returning to court to collect his 10th title at the ATP Challenger Tour level and second of this season. Dellien defeated American Oliver Crawford 7-6(6), 4-6, 7-6(1) in the Festval Challenger final.

“What a crazy Sunday, six hours on court! They were worth the trophy!’ Dellien wrote in Spanish on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hugo Dellien (@hugodellien)

Klein won seven matches in eight days as he advanced through qualifying en route to winning the Sparkasse Challenger Val Gardena in Ortisei, Italy. In the final, Klein saved two match points to escape Poland’s Maks Kasnikowski 6-7(4), 7-6(4), 7-6(6) after two hours, 38 minutes.

“I’m extremely happy that I managed to win. Very, very close final,” Klein said. “A few points decided the final so I guess I’m lucky it fell my way. It’s a great feeling and I hope it boosts my confidence and my level.”

A three-time Challenger champion, Klein’s triumph in Italy marks his first trophy of the season. He became the 14th qualifier to make a title run at the Challenger level in 2023.

Kasnikowski, 20, became the youngest Pole to reach a Challenger final since Jerzy Janowicz in 2010.

Australian James Duckworth earned his second consecutive ATP Challenger Tour title by winning the City of Playford Tennis International. In a rematch of last week’s Shenzhen Challenger final, the 31-year-old Duckworth downed Hong Kong’s Chak Lam Coleman Wong 7-5, 7-5 to be crowned champion.

James Duckworth wins the Challenger 75 event in Playford, Australia.” style=”width: 100%;” />^{James Duckworth wins the Challenger 75 event in Playford, Australia. Credit: City of Playford Tennis International}
“It was a really difficult match. It was kind of cool that we played each other in the final last week. He came out all guns blazing and I thought the quality of the match was really high,” Duckworth said. “Tight breaks at the end of each set and I was able to sneak through so I’m really happy.

“I’ve never gone back to back before. To consistently put together 10 good matches is a real confidence boost, especially with all the injuries I’ve had.”

Duckworth is the most decorated Australian champion in ATP Challenger Tour history with 14 titles. The Sydney native collected his third crown in Playford, where the past six champions have all been Aussies. Duckworth also won the event in 2016 and 2019.

Spaniard Pedro Martinez collected his fourth ATP Challenger Tour trophy and first of this year at the Open Brest-Credit Agricole, where he defeated home favourite Benjamin Bonzi 7-6(6), 7-6(1) in the final. The title in France marks Martinez’s maiden hard-court trophy at any level.

With Bonzi’s final appearance in Brest, it marked the 50th ATP Challenger Tour final for Frenchmen in 2023 (26-24).

Pedro Martinez wins the Challenger 100 event in Brest, France.” />
^{Pedro Martinez wins the Challenger 100 event in Brest, France. Credit: Un Oeil Averty}

Alex de Minaur has Andy Murray’s number.

In September, the Australian rallied from 2-5 down in the third set against the Scot to triumph in Beijing, saving match points in the process. Fast forward four weeks and history repeated itself at the Rolex Paris Masters on Monday. De Minaur battled from 2-5 behind in Paris, saving one match point to defeat former champion Murray 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-5.

The Australian hung tough in a three-hour battle against the former World No. 1. He saved the match point when Murray was serving at 5-4, 40/30 and won the final five games of the match to improve 6-0 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series. Four of their meetings have come in 2023.

With his 43rd win of the year, De Minaur kept alive his slim Nitto ATP Finals qualification chances. The 24-year-old is 13th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, 685 points behind Holger Rune, who occupies the final qualification spot in eighth.

De Minaur, who is 14-4 in first rounds this year, will next play French wild card Benjamin Bonzi or Serbian lucky loser Dusan Lajovic.

Murray lifted the trophy in Paris in 2016 and was trying to earn his first match win at the ATP Masters 1000 event since that run seven years ago. The Scot squandered his chances from 5-2 up, though, pushing the ball short at times to allow De Minaur to dictate. The 36-year-old leaves Paris holding a 16-17 tour-level record on the season.

In other action, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina earned his 30th ATP Masters 1000 match win, defeating #NextGenATP American Ben Shelton 7-6(4), 5-7, 6-3.

The Spaniard, whose best result at this level was a run to the final in Monte-Carlo in 2022, holds a 11-4 record against left handers, winning the past five matches he has played against them. Davidovich Fokina will next face Tallon Griekspoor after the Dutchman downed Christopher Eubanks 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-4.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina” style=”width: 100%;” />
_{^{Photo Credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour}}
Frances Tiafoe’s outside Nitto ATP Finals qualification hopes came to an end when he lost against Alexander Bublik. The World No. 33 overcame American Tiafoe 6-3, 6-4 to earn his first Masters 1000 hard-court win since Miami in 2022. Bublik, who won 30 of his 34 first-serve points against Tiafoe, will play Nicolas Jarry in the second round following the Chilean’s 7-5, 7-6(6) win against Alexei Popyrin.

Tiafoe leaves Paris 980 points behind Holger Rune, who occupies the final qualification spot in eighth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin.

Roberto Bautista Agut earned his first tour-level win since June, defeating Czech Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 6-2 to reach the second round. The Spaniard, who missed the US Open due to injury, will next meet Sebastian Korda or Hubert Hurkacz.

Dominic Stricker has climbed two places to sixth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Jeddah after enjoying an impressive run on home soil at the Swiss Indoors Basel.

The 21-year-old advanced to the quarter-finals at the ATP 500 event, defeating World No. 8 Casper Ruud in the second round to earn his second Top 10 win of the season. It was the first time this year that Stricker reached the last eight at a tour-level event. He also advanced to the fourth round at the US Open in September.

Stricker is aiming to make his second appearance at the Next Gen ATP Finals after reaching the semi-finals on debut last year.

Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Jeddah

Italian Flavio Cobolli is eighth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Jeddah. The 21-year-old continued his impressive form at an ATP Challenger Tour event in Italy, where he reached the final. Cobolli won his first Challenger Tour crown of the year in Lisbon, Portugal at the start of October.

This week, fifth-placed Arthur Fils and seventh-placed Luca Van Assche will aim to boost their qualification chances further when they compete in front of home fans at the Rolex Paris Masters.

The Next Gen ATP Finals will be held from 28 November-2 December in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

French tennis currently finds itself in an exciting position today, with the country having 13 players inside the Top 100 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. The second youngest is Luca Van Assche. The 19-year-old is currently seventh in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Jeddah and seeking a spot at the Next Gen ATP Finals.

The Frenchman has been on the rise in 2023, climbing from as low as No. 152 earlier this year to a career-high No. 63. Van Assche is quick to acknowledge the role those who came before him have played in his development, singling out Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael Monfils.

“When I was young I watched the French players a lot, especially during Roland Garros as it was on TV,” Van Assche told ATPTour.com. “When I left school I went home and watched Roland Garros on TV. We had a lot of good players so it was incredible to see them and I wanted to be like them, so I started trying to be a professional player.

“I watched a lot of good matches. I remember when Tsonga beat Roger Federer [at Roland Garros in 2013] and at the Davis Cup when Monfils won a lot of matches and when they won the Davis Cup in 2017. To see a lot of French players at the top of the rankings inspires you to continue what they have done.”

After watching France’s biggest stars from the stands, Van Assche has since had the opportunity to rub shoulders with them. The 19-year-old has hit with Richard Gasquet and Gilles Simon, soaking up advice from both.

“I have practised with Gasquet a few times and I have practised with Simon a bit,” Van Assche said. “It is nice to have these players in France and Paris that I can talk to easily. It is nice for me. It is nice to talk to them easily and good for my career to take their advice.”

Former World No. 6 Simon triumphed at 14 tour-level events, with Monfils and Gasquet, both of whom are still active, winning 28 ATP Tour singles tournaments between them. Tsonga, who retired last year, enjoyed many standout moments in his career, reaching the final at the Australian Open in 2008 and lifting 18 ATP Tour titles.

Like his countrymen, Van Assche has already experienced a magical moment early in his career. In 2021, he overcame good friend and fellow #NextGenATP star Arthur Fils in the Roland Garros Boys’ singles final. It was a victory that he remembers fondly.

“It was an incredible tournament for me, Roland Garros juniors two years ago,” Van Assche said. “It was a great opportunity to show myself on court and win a big title in France and in front of a French crowd. Beating Arthur [Fils], who is one of my best friends on Tour and I have known him a long time. It was a great memory.”

Expressive, stylistic and passionate are three adjectives that have been associated with French tennis players over the decades. While Van Assche is keen to tap into these traits, he is determined to carve his own path.

“I try to be a good player on the court. I want to be myself. I just want to be comfortable to play my game and win matches,” Van Assche said. “Others don’t have the same style as me on court, but it was nice to see their celebrations on court and I think everyone has their own celebration.”

For all Tsonga, Gasquet, Monfils and Simon achieved in the 21st century, none lifted a major trophy. The last Frenchman to do so was Yannick Noah in 1983, when he triumphed at Roland Garros. Van Assche is determined to break the duck but does not feel the pressure.

“I am playing for myself and I want to enjoy my career,” Van Assche said. “Of course I have high goals and I try to win a lot of matches like they did in the past. Everyone has their own career. They have won many great titles and had great victories and I want to build mine also. [There is] not so much pressure.”

Van Assche will aim to build his career further at the Next Gen ATP Finals, to be held from 28 November-2 December in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The 19-year-old is seventh in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Jeddah and in a strong position to qualify.

“It would be a very big thing if I could play at the Next Gen ATP Finals,” said Van Assche, who won two ATP Challenger Tour titles this year. “I am also very proud because there are only eight players in the world who can play the event, so it would be a great achievement.”

With just two weeks to go, the battle for the final three qualification spots at the Nitto ATP Finals continued to heat up at ATP 500 events in Vienna and Basel, where Jannik Sinner and Felix Auger-Aliassime triumphed.

ATPTour.com looks at the key movers as of Monday, 30 October in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin.

Ninth (3,075 points) – Hubert Hurkacz
The Pole climbed two spots to ninth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin after he reached the title match at the Swiss Indoors Basel. The 26-year-old earned three-set victories against Tallon Griekspoor and Ugo Humbert before losing against Auger-Aliassime in the title match. Hurkacz, who is aiming to make his second appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals, heads to Paris 215 points behind eighth-placed Holger Rune, who occupies the final qualification spot.

Sixth (3,885 points) – Stefanos Tsitsipas
The Greek consolidated his sixth-placed position after reaching the semi-finals at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna. Tsitsipas overcame Dominic Thiem before falling to Daniil Medvedev in the last four. The 25-year-old is 810 points clear of ninth-placed Hurkacz and can stamp his ticket for the Nitto ATP Finals at the Rolex Paris Masters this week. Tsitsipas has competed at the prestigious year-end for the past four years, winning the title in 2019.

Eighth (3,290 points) – Holger Rune
The 20-year-old gained a vital 180 points in Basel, where he reached the semi-finals at a tour-level event since June, when he advanced to the last four at The Queen’s Club. Rune is aiming to make his debut at the Nitto ATP Finals. This week he heads to Paris as the defending champion.

Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner and Andrey Rublev have all qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals.

Jannik Sinner and Stan Wawrinka will play Novak Djokovic and Miomir Kecmanovic in a blockbuster first-round doubles match at the Rolex Paris Masters.

Neither team has competed together in the past, but there will be plenty of starpower on the court. Djokovic, Sinner and Wawrinka have all cracked the Top 4 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. The winning duo will in the second round face third seeds Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden, who have qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals.

Djokovic is competing for the first time since Davis Cup action the week after he won the US Open in September. He is 0-3 in doubles this year. Wawrinka won a doubles title earlier this season in Gstaad with fellow Swiss Dominic Stricker.

Other notable first-round matchups in the doubles draw include Jiri Lehecka/Ben Shelton playing Kevin Krawietz/Tim Puetz, and Marcelo Melo/Alexander Zverev facing Nathaniel Lammons/Jackson Withrow.

It is a critical week in the chase for one of the four remaining slots at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin. Lammons and Withrow are eighth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings, but are not currently projected to qualify for the season finale because 17th-placed Rinky Hijikata and Jason Kubler won this year’s Australian Open and as Grand Slam champions between eighth and 20th, would earn a spot.

Lammons and Withrow are 445 points behind seventh-placed Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni. Other teams currently in a qualifying spot are fourth-placed Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos and fifth-placed Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin, who triumphed Sunday in Basel.

The top seeds in Paris are Ivan Dodig/Austin Krajicek and the second seeds are Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski, the defending champions.

There are two weeks remaining in the regular season. The week after the Rolex Paris Masters, there will be ATP 250 events in Marseille and Sofia.