'Unbearable': Rune Devastated After Being Forced To Retire In Monte-Carlo
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Holger Rune has spoken out after retiring from his opening round match against Nuno Borges at the 2025 Monte-Carlo Masters.
Rune was the 2023 runner-up in Monte-Carlo and thrives on clay when he is performing near his best. The Dane started as an overwhelming favorite against Borges, despite the Portuguese's preference for playing on clay.
Unfortunately, the fans inside Court Rainier III never saw Rune reach anywhere near his best level against Borges. The 21-year-old was 2-6, 0-3 behind when he decided to end the match before it reached a conclusion.
Rune struggled throughout the contest because of an illness. He was courageous for stepping onto the court when feeling unwell, but ultimately, it proved to be too steep an obstacle to overcome.
Incredibly, that is the third time Rune has been rocked by an illness. After losing at the 2025 Argentina Open, the young ATP star revealed that he was unwell before the tournament and admitted he should have withdrawn.
Rune was one of many players who contracted food poisoning at the 2025 Mexican Open. He retired in the second set of his round-of-16 match against Brandon Nakashina in Acapulco.
The 2022 Paris Masters champion referenced those past cases in an Instagram story, saying it feels like sickness has been hunting him this season. He did not hide how disappointed he was to retire against Borges.
"I feel hunted with sickness. Unbearable not to be able to finish up in one of my absolute favorite tournaments. @rolexmontecarlomasters."
Three illnesses in the space of less than two months is an extraordinarily bad run of luck. Rune must feel he is due a change of fortunes for the rest of the season after being unwell so often in a short period.
The former world No. 1 received support from his mother, Aneke Rune, in an Instagram post. She assured her son that the illnesses were not his fault and that how hard he is working will ultimately pay off.
"A shout out to you Holger. It’s been some really tough months for you. We can’t always control everything and I know you did all the right things to stay healthy and on top, and still you were hit by a tsunami of virus, food poisoning etc."
"The season is long, so don’t worry, you will be exactly where you want to be when the year ends. Sometimes unforeseen setbacks gives an even bigger hunger. Keep aiming high and work for it and you WILL be rewarded ❤️#loveandsupport."
Aneke has consistently been by Holger's side since the start of his professional career. The two-time French Open quarterfinalist had some heated interactions with her as a teenager, but he has also consistently praised her for being a supportive presence.
Holger's mother recently made headlines when someone on social media created fake quotes from her about Jannik Sinner's suspension that went viral. Aneke angrily responded on X (formerly Twitter), asking users to stop spreading false information.
