Expert warns Holger Rune ahead of his return from injury

Greg Rusedski has delivered a frank warning to Holger Rune ahead of the Danish player's planned return to the ATP Tour at the Hamburg Open in May.

The former Grand Slam finalist suggests that seven months may not be enough time to recover fully from a complete Achilles tendon rupture.

Rusedski, who now coaches Rune alongside interim coach Philippe Dehaes, spoke candidly on his Off Court Cuts podcast about the timeline surrounding the comeback, acknowledging the tension that often exists between a player's desire to return and the more conservative advice of medical staff.

"Holger said he's going to come back in Hamburg, which he announced in Monte Carlo to all the media," Rusedski said.

"From my point of view, it's better to be safer, take more time. That's where the coach and the team around the player have to say, 'Ok, let's talk to the doctor, let's look at the physio, I don't want you back until you're 100% fit.' If you can do that and convince the player, that's a great job in coaching and physiotherapy."

"That's why the whole team has to be united. If they're not united, problems occur. Holger is a little bit unlucky. He pulled his Achilles, which is a terrible injury to come back from. I'm happy to hear about his comeback, but maybe it needs a little bit more time. We're going to wait and see."

The warning carries extra weight given that Rusedski is himself part of Rune's current coaching setup. His public caution suggests a genuine concern about the speed of the recovery rather than mere outside commentary.

Rune tore his left Achilles tendon in October 2025 during a semifinal against Ugo Humbert at the BNP Paribas Nordic Open in Stockholm, bringing his season to an immediate halt.

He underwent surgery four days after the injury and began a lengthy rehabilitation process at Aspetar hospital in Doha, working alongside specialists from Denmark and Qatar.

A typical full recovery from such an injury takes nine to twelve months, making Rune's seven-month return timeline ambitious by any medical standard.

Rusedski is not the only former player to raise concerns. Steve Johnson, speaking on the Nothing Major podcast, also described Rune's return plan as a bad idea, echoing the sentiment that the Dane may be pushing himself back onto the tour before his body is truly ready.

The pressure to return quickly is not purely about ambition. Rune's ranking has been dropping throughout his absence as he is unable to defend points from his 2025 results.

Having reached a career-high of fourth in the world, he has now slipped to 39th in the live rankings after falling 12 places this week alone, unable to defend the 500 points he earned by winning the Barcelona Open title last April against Carlos Alcaraz.

As things stand, he will enter the French Open unseeded, meaning he could face Jannik Sinner or Alcaraz as early as the first round.

Rune himself has been forthright about the lessons the injury has taught him. "Before the injury, the main difference between me and Alcaraz and Sinner was consistency," he said in an interview with Spanish newspaper Marca in January.

"This isn't a skill you're born with. It's not talent, it's discipline. Years ago, I was ahead of Carlos and Jannik for a while, but I wasn't consistent and I lost that advantage."

He added that the rehabilitation process had itself been a lesson in discipline.

"You don't get through rehabilitation without discipline, day after day."

"Not at all, my ambitions are the same. And we'll see what happens. I'm sure I'll be hungry," Rune said immediately when asked in January whether the 2026 season was effectively written off.

That hunger was visible in Monte Carlo, where Rune was spotted watching the Sinner versus Alcaraz final from the stands, seated just in front of Stefan Edberg.

His presence at the tournament, studying the two players he considers his primary targets, suggested a mind firmly back in competitive mode even while his body continues to recover.

The Hamburg Open begins on May 18. Whether Rune arrives there ready to compete at his best, or whether Rusedski's caution proves warranted, will become clear soon enough.