The fearless teenager is now looking to make Nick Kyrgios his next big scalp at the Australian Open

Danish rising star Holger Rune has declared ahead of the Australian Open, which begins on Monday, that he doesn’t fear Nick Kyrgios.

19-year-old Rune is already in the top 10 in the ATP World Rankings and ninth at Melbourne Park.

If both men win their first two Grand Slam matches, a showdown awaits in round three.

“I have to take one game at a time – everyone’s tough – but obviously it could be fun,” Rune said.

“Nick always plays great. When he plays he’s on and he’s super dangerous… I’ll definitely take the fight. I’m not afraid. I just go out and play my tennis.

Danish rising star Holger Rune has declared ahead of the Australian Open, which begins on Monday, that he doesn’t fear Nick Kyrgios

If both men win their first two Grand Slam matches, a delicious showdown awaits them in round three

“It’s good for the sport that we have a guy like Nick who can cheer for the crowd like he can.

“It’s better to play in front of a full stadium that’s loud than nobody, so I see it as a positive.”

Like Kyrgios, Rune was a junior world No. 1 and has a fiery temper.

His talent is evident – Rune won the Paris Masters in November, beating five top players – Carlos Alcaraz, Felix Auger Aliassime, Andrey Rublev, Hubert Hurkacz and then Novak Djokovic in the final.

He also reached the quarterfinals at the French Open last year.

Kyrgios meets Russian Roman Safiullin in his first-round match on Tuesday.

The Canberra-born star is one of the favorites to win the Australian Open this summer

Nick Kyrgios has also reiterated his bold plans to retire from tennis despite being just 27 years old

The 27-year-old local hope, a Wimbledon finalist last year, has said he could retire from the sport if he wins the Australian Open – or any other Grand Slam.

The Canberra-born star admitted he struggles to commit to the “dedication” it takes to play at the highest level.

“100 percent,” said Kyrgios after his exhibition match with Djokovic on Friday.

“It’s a lot of training, a lot of work, and I just want to be able to eat what I want, drink what I want.

“It’s a tough lifestyle. The dedication these guys show… I did a little bit of that last year to show the world I’m still one of the best.

“But I will try to do it this year and hopefully I can do it, but it will be difficult.”