After recently receiving mentoring from tennis great Andre Agassi, Holger Rune’s team has confirmed the tennis star has also hired a new high-profile team member.
The world No.9 has teamed up with fitness trainer Marco Panichi ahead of the US Open. Panichi is best known for his collaboration with Novak Djokovic, which ended in 2024. After that, the Italian joined Jannik Sinner’s team until shortly before this year’s Wimbledon Championships. Sinner parted ways with Panichi and physiotherapist Ulises Badio at the same time because he wanted ‘to do something different.’
Rune’s new hiring has been confirmed by his mother and manager Aneke during an interview with Danish newspaper bt.dk.
“We will welcome Marco Panichi to the team. He brings enormous experience – not just in the physical aspect, but everything related to building a grand slam winner. That raises the bar even further,” said Aneke.
Under the new agreement, the two will officially begin working together during the Cincinnati Masters, which will get underway next month. The arrangement has no impact on the position of his current coach, Lars Christensen.
“We know Marco very well and have always had a really good relationship with him. And he has always liked Holger. He is in a special class, so it is a huge capacity to get into the team,” Aneke continued.
“The way he works, and the way he worked with Novak Djokovic, is very much the way we see a fitness trainer in a team, where he will also be active in training.”
Rune is yet to comment on the hiring himself, but recently outlined his aspirations to rise to the top of men’s tennis during an interview with tennis.com earlier this week. So far in his career, he has won five ATP titles and reached the quarter-finals of three Grand Slam events – twice at the French Open and once at Wimbledon.
“If you’re happy to stick around and be No. 5, 10, 15, or 20 in the world, some players can do that without doing more…My goal was always to be No. 1; it still is, and I believe I can do it,” he said.
“I also believe there’s a few things I need to do differently. That’s one of the reasons why I reached out to Andre (Agassi), to hear his point of view.”
Rune is playing at the Citi Open this week and will face France’s Alexandre Müller in his first match.
