‘Serving, returning and dreaming big’

Holger Rune will compete in his 11th ATP final at the Barcelona Open. The 21-year-old Dane is enjoying one of his career-best weeks, outplaying his rivals and hoping for more against his great coeval, Carlos Alcaraz.

After months of injuries and struggles, Holger is playing at his best again. The young gun dethroned Casper Ruud and dismantled Karen Khachanov en route to his second final of the season, hoping to go a step further than in Indian Wells.

Holger is delighted with his level and the top-10 return. The Dane has been choosing the right shots and mixed up his game to overpower the rivals and enter the title clash. Regardless of Sunday’s outcome, Rune is eager to maintain a high level and chase big dreams.

Eleventh heaven 🇩🇰@holgerrune2003 puts on a masterclass vs Khachanov 6-3 6-2 to reach his 11th ATP final in Barcelona!#BCNOpenBS pic.twitter.com/mwcL2w6GCm

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) April 19, 2025

Rune gave Khachanov no chance in their semi-final duel, notching a 6-3, 6-2 victory in 67 minutes. The 6th seed barely lost a point behind the second serve, avoiding break points and mounting the pressure on the other side. 

Karen could not follow that pace after struggling on serve and return. He dropped half of the points behind the initial shot and lost serve four times, including three in a row. Holger landed 21 winners and 13 unforced errors. He reduced Karen to five winners and 17 loose shots.

The Dane dominated from the baseline and secured the victory in that segment. Rune secured a break at love in the seventh game of the match with a backhand winner. The Dane held at love in the eighth game for 5-3 and made another push on the return in the next one. 

He created a set point with a drop shot winner and welcomed Khachanov’s forehand error for 6-3 in 32 minutes. The Russian sprayed more errors in the second game of the second set, sending a forehand wide and suffering a break.