Boris Becker "can't give" Holger Rune what he needs now in resigning as head coach

A week after Severin Luthi left Holger Rune’s coaching team, Boris Becker has stepped down from his principal role.

The German shared the news in a post on X (formerly Twitter), assuring his followers that he will remain Rune’s No. 1 fan. Becker pointed to “professional and private responsibilities” as the reason behind his departure.

“We started this partnership with the initial goal to reach the ATP Finals end of last year but moving forward I realised that in order for this to be successful, I would need to be available for Holger much more than I can,” wrote Becker.

“I can’t give Holger what he needs now.”

Last year, Rune parted aways with Patrick Mouratoglou as his mother Aneke, who serves as his manager, pointed to “ego clashes” with long-time coach Lars Christensen as the source of the split. Rune then hired Becker for a trial period in October, with the Dane advancing to the Basel semifinals in the pair’s debut together.

Becker was ultimately extended for the 2024 season ahead of Luthi’s onboarding in late December, joining Rune’s countryman Kenneth Carlsen in the expanded team. Luthi, who has served as Switzerland’s Davis Cup captain since 2005 and worked directly with Roger Federer for 15 years, was revealed to be out of the Rune camp following the conclusion of the Australian Open due to scheduling issues.

Rune was ousted in the second round of the Melbourne major by Arthur Cazaux, before returning to action in Montpellier last week. He trailed Borna Coric by a set and 4-1 in their Open Sud de France semifinal before retiring with a right arm injury. The 20-year-old is due to participate in the UTS Oslo exhibition event beginning Thursday ahead of next week’s 500-level tournament in Rotterdam.