"I think he’s possibly the best in the world": Holger Rune names 'toughest' player to face on clay

Denmark’s Holger Rune has named reigning world number three Spain's Carlos Alcaraz as the ‘toughest’ player to face on clay court. The clay court season is underway in grand style with an ATP 1000 event in Monaco—the Monte-Carlo Masters—as players are giving their all to secure the ultimate prize.

Denmark’s Rune also participated in the competition, but his journey ended in the first round as he was forced to retire because of a fitness concern while facing Portugal’s Nuno Borges. Before facing the Portuguese opponent, the reigning world number 12 was asked who the toughest player to face on clay court was, and he was not hesitant to name the former world number one Alcaraz.

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“I think the toughest one [on clay] might be Alcaraz,” said Rune as quoted by Tennis 365. “Let’s see how his form is beginning of the clay season, but he’s a guy when he hits his best level — I think he’s possibly the best in the world. I think he can definitely bring a big challenge. The last years he was injured and stuff here, so he hasn’t gotten the experience like other players here, but I’m sure he will eventually.”

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Alcaraz is also taking part in the competition and registered a win in his first outing against Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo with a score of 3-6, 6-0, 6-1 on Wednesday. Talking after the match, the Spaniard admitted that he did not well in the contest. “I didn’t start well. I made a lot of mistakes and I let him play inside the court, dominating the points,” said the four-time Grand Slam winner. “I just knew that I had to do something else, play more aggressively, and play my own tennis: drop shots, going to the net and more aggression. The most important change was the return, I tried to return closer to the line and push him.”

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