Nice analysis, though I can't say that I'm a fan of Rune. I appreciate the excellence of the new players emerging now--not only Alcaraz and Sinner, but also Shelton, Fils, Arnaldi, Machac, Mensik, etc.--but I also enjoy the camaraderie among the players, and Rune is a discordant note.

One thing your piece does explain to me: why he's still ranked so high! He was destroyed by Maroszan in Miami and by Struff in Munich this spring, and beaten by Griekspoor last week as you note. (I was glad to see him go in each case.) But he is clearly a great player and winning at a high rate, especially in tie-breaks, and that means something.