Rising star Holger Rune has admitted that the next generation is not yet at par with Novak Djokovic. The Serbian has been in stellar form and won three out of the four Slams in the previous season. The veteran is still going strongly at the top level and there is just no one stopping him.

Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final but the Spaniard suffered from cramps in his semifinal loss against the Serbian in the French Open. Rune said he can relate to it as he also suffered from cramps when he played against Djokovic for the first time.

“I also cramped the first time I played Novak so I can relate to that. It’s not abnormal,” Holger Rune told inews.co.uk. “We’ve got to step up. We’ve got to do it not just one time… Sinner beat him, but he is still winning three out of four Grand Slams and maybe he almost won Wimbledon also.”

“So we’re not there yet. We need to be there and do everything we can to get him out of there. I know it’s going to take a lot of work and I’ve been doing my work in the pre-season so far, and been really, really willing to improve,” he added.

Rune, who lost to Grigor Dimitrov in the final at Brisbane, said he has massive respect for the veterans of the game, who he grew up idolizing.

“So we’re not there yet. We need to be there and do everything we can to get him out of there. I know it’s going to take a lot of work and I’ve been doing my work in the pre-season so far, and been really, really willing to improve,” he added.

The Dane added it is a surreal feeling that he is also improving his level and slowly getting to the top.

“But it’s nice because it’s like ‘wow I’m actually getting at that level’ and then you realize that you are not on that level,” he added. “So then you’ve got to go back to do the work and then when you finally start to beat them and start to compete with them more and more close, it feels different.”

Rune will aim to be at his best in the Australian Open, all set to begin on January 14.