Denmark's Rune plans more vegetables and better diet for next season

Denmark's Holger Rune says he will be changing his diet in a bid to take himself to the next level after an inconsistent season.

The 22-year-old, currently in action at the Stockholm Open, won the Barcelona title and reached the final of Indian Wells but has not quite been able to establish a top-10 ranking.

"I've talked a lot with my team after Shanghai. That was a big part of the frustrations I had on court," Rune told sports website SpilXsperten. "We've evaluated it thoroughly afterwards and talked it through, and we've found some solutions."

In a huge upset, 10th seed Rune lost to qualifier Vincent Vacherot in the Shanghai quarterfinals as the Monegasque world number 204 went on to win the tournament and set a record as the lowest-ranked player to triumph at an ATP Masters 1000 event.

"Of course, more physical training can be done, and that's also what I need to focus on in pre-season," Rune added. "But we've been looking into my diet to see what I can eat to feel better.

"It's obviously about getting the right vegetables, rice, and pasta at the right time so my body can feel better. It's basic stuff, but it's damn important in order to perform properly – so that's what we're looking into."

Rune has been tipped to challenge the dominance of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at the top of the men's game but has never got beyond the quarterfinal of a Grand Slam.

"The season has definitely had its ups and downs. I've had both good and not-so-good weeks. Right now, I'm just focusing on the present and on playing well in Stockholm," he said.

Top seed Rune faces Argentine Tomas Etcheverry in the quarterfinals of the Nordic Open ATP 250 event later on Friday.

Rune also chipped in to the argument about court speeds after men's great Roger Federer, among others, suggested that organisers have opted for slower surfaces.

"I actually think it's more the balls than the court that have become slower," he said. "I'm sure something changed after the pandemic. The materials in the balls have changed. I've talked to many current and former players about that too."

(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Ken Ferris)