Holger Rune confirms worst possible news after suffering career-altering injury
NewsSunday, 19 October 2025 at 13:20
Holger Rune's tennis career will take a slight detour, as his next few months will look completely different from what he, or anyone else, anticipated.
Rune has been one of the most promising talents on the ATP Tour for a few years now. Although he couldn't keep up with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner when it comes to big trophies won, the young Dane was on his way back to the top.
He secured a Top 10 return at the Stockholm Open, and he was even close to fighting for a title in an all-Nordic final. Rune led 6-4 and 2-2 against Ugo Humbert in his semi-final match, and had he finished and won it, he would have met Casper Ruud in the final of the ATP 250 competition.
But Rune's semi-final match didn't end like he imagined. The 22-year-old suddenly felt pain after one of the rallies in the fifth game of the second set, and shortly after, he was already sitting down in tears, consulting the extent of the injury with a doctor.
It seemed that Rune had injured his Achilles, but he first needed to undergo further examination to confirm that. He obviously retired from the match, and when his mother, Aneke, said that she expects her son might need surgery and be out for three to six months, things looked very bleak.
But there was still hope that things wouldn't be as bad as they initially looked. However, on Sunday, October 19th, Rune confirmed that he will require surgery, which means he will miss the first half of the upcoming season.
"It’s gonna be a while before I can step on the court again. It’s tough. I had so much joy on court in Stockholm, and it’s unbearable to think that I will not feel this energy for some time now. My Achilles is fully broken on the proximal part, meaning I need an operation already next week and from here rehabilitation. Thank you for all your support now and always. Without you, nothing would be the same. See you as soon as possible."
Holger Rune's colleagues rush to his defense and slam the ATP
Many of Rune's colleagues were quick to respond to the injury. Jack Draper posted about it online, with Taylor Fritz responding to the Brit's comments. Both complained about the calendar being too long and demanding, which can then cause similar injuries.
Casper Ruud, who spoke to Nicholas Albek, who covers the Stockholm Open for SpilXperten, also said that Rune's injury was a result of how the players are pushed to their limits.
"It's incredibly hard to hear. It looked really bad, and I know he’s going to be tested tomorrow, but I’ve also heard that he heard a distinct sound, which is a really bad sign. This type of injury is something you really can’t control, so it’s just extremely unfortunate. Tennis is a brutal sport, and as a player, you don’t want to miss several months."
"He’s still very young, so he has a long career ahead of him, so I hope he can come back strong quickly. I think tennis has now reached a point where everything moves so fast, and you have to be physically ready for every single match. I’m not saying it wasn’t physical in the past, but I’m sometimes a bit surprised by how much it takes from your body to be able to play tennis."
"It’s very demanding when you go straight from tournament to tournament. Holger was in Shanghai last week, and when something is that demanding, then unfortunately things like this can happen."
"We’re all in a kind of risk zone when we step out on the court, but whether his injury is directly related to the tough schedule, I’m not sure. In a way, all injuries are because of the tough schedule."
"Of course it’s tough, and we’re really pushing our own limits to the maximum at the moment. Holger was one of those who still had a chance to make it to the ATP Finals, so his limit was definitely pushed too, and then it’s just really unfortunate that it ends this way for him. I truly wish him a speedy recovery."
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