Holger Rune releases heartbreaking statement after bursting into tears on court | Tennis | Sport
Holger Rune has confirmed that he will undergo surgery on his Achilles tendon after rupturing it against Ugo Humbert at the Nordic Open. The injury occurred during the second set of their semi-final clash on Saturday evening. Rune was hurt while scrambling to return a wide forehand and immediately signalled to his box that he would be unable to continue.
The young Dane burst into tears as he limped to the side of the court before elevating his injured limb on his racket bag. He could not bear any weight on his leg and had to be helped down the tunnel by a member of his team. It sparked immediate fears that the injury was serious in nature and Rune has now confirmed that to be true.
In a statement on Instagram, he revealed that he had suffered a full rupture of his Achilles tendon which would require surgery. It means he will be sidelined for a period of months, rather than weeks.
“It’s gonna be a while before I can step on court again,” said Rune. “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 full 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.”
It leaves Rune facing a battle to recover in time for next year’s Australian Open, which gets underway in mid-January. Prior to his update on social media, his mother Aneke had been informed by medical staff that her son’s injury was ‘very bad’.
She told Danish newspaper BT: “They are completely sure that it is a torn Achilles tendon, so it’s of course very bad. Holger is completely devastated. They say they can see it with the naked eye.”
Several players have since urged the ATP to adapt their schedule in order to prevent similar injuries from happening in the future. Jack Draper, who was sidelined for months earlier this year, was among those to call for changes to be made.
He wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “Injuries are going to happen… we are pushing our bodies to do things they aren’t supposed to in elite sport.
“We have so many incredible younger guys on the tour right now and I’m proud to be a part of that. However, the tour and the calendar have to adapt if any of us are going to achieve some sort of longevity.”
Casper Ruud, meanwhile, said: “Holger was in Shanghai last week and when something is so demanding, something like this can unfortunately happen.
“We are all in some kind of risk zone when we step onto the court, but whether his injury has a direct connection to the tough schedule, I am not sure. In a way, all injuries are probably because of the tough schedule.”
