Danish Qualifier August Holmgren Shines at Wimbledon

Before this run, Holmgren had played just one ATP Tour-level match—back in 2021, as a lucky loser in San Diego. He lost in straight sets to Grigor Dimitrov, winning only two games. Speaking of San Diego, it’s also where he spent several years off-court, studying at the University of San Diego and earning a bachelor’s degree in theatre arts and performance studies.

USD men’s tennis head coach Ryan Keckley, who is at Wimbledon this year supporting another “Torero,” Oliver Tarvet, told the ATP Tour:

“This is a guy who on a Tuesday would go salsa dancing because it was in the room next to his dorm or something like that. On Saturdays in his junior year, he took a surfing class.”

“The most valuable thing I got from college was understanding that I need to have a balance between tennis and life off the court. To make sure I was happy off the court, because I needed that in order to be happy on the court.”

While the headlines are dominated by Alexander Zverev—who recently spoke publicly about feeling emotionally drained—Holmgren’s story offers a different kind of inspiration. Despite financial struggles and being ranked outside the top 100, he’s pushed through and is set to climb around 45 places in the ATP rankings, likely breaking into the top 150 for the first time.

A Grueling Path Through Qualies

Holmgren’s Wimbledon journey almost ended before it began. In both the first and second rounds of qualifying, he was down a set and a break—against Giles Hussey and Mikhail Kukushkin, respectively. Then, in the final qualifying match against Yosuke Watanuki, he saved three match points and needed six of his own to finally book his place in the main draw.

Once in the main draw, Holmgren didn’t slow down. He defeated Quentin Halys in straight sets in the first round. Then came his second-round thriller against Czech player Tomáš Macháč. Down three match points in the fourth set, Holmgren mounted yet another comeback and won after 4 hours and 36 minutes, taking the fifth set in a tiebreak. All of that has made him one of the most compelling stories of the tournament so far.

A Danish Duo at Wimbledon

Holmgren’s progress has brought Danish tennis back into the spotlight. A key figure behind his success is fellow Dane Frederik Nielsen—Wimbledon doubles champion in 2012 alongside Jonathan Marray. Nielsen now serves as Holmgren’s coach and the Danish Davis Cup captain, providing both experience and strategic insight.

“I talk a lot with Freddie about who I want to be in big moments,” Holmgren revealed.

In the third round, Holmgren faces a tough opponent in Alex de Minaur. Most expect his run to end there, but the Dane has shown he thrives as the underdog. Regardless of the outcome, winning two matches in a Grand Slam main draw is a significant achievement for a qualifier.

Over the past five years, only seven qualifiers have managed to reach the third round at Wimbledon, and just one—Jason Kubler in 2022—advanced to the second week. As for the most impressive Slam runs by qualifiers, few can forget Aslan Karatsev at the 2021 Australian Open (semifinalist) and Botic van de Zandschulp at the 2021 US Open (quarterfinalist).