Holger Rune was having the match of his life at the Stockholm Open just a month ago. The 22-year-old Danish star was cruising through his semi-final against Ugo Humbert, leading 6-4, 2-2.
The final was right there for the taking.
Then disaster struck. Rune tore his Achilles tendon – one of the worst injuries any athlete can suffer. In tennis, it’s basically a career-altering nightmare.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holger Rune | 22 | 2,540 | 22 - 12 |
The timing couldn’t have been worse. Rune’s now facing most of the 2025 season on the sidelines, right when he should be hitting his peak years as a player.
Fighting Back From Rock Bottom
But here’s the thing – this setback hasn’t broken him. Not even close.
Rune’s already back on court, posting videos of himself practicing while sitting down. His left leg obviously can’t handle normal play yet, but he’s not giving up.
The injury was so shocking that even his rivals started calling for a shorter tennis season to prevent these kinds of devastating setbacks.
Rune’s currently ranked No. 15 in the world, and surprisingly, he’s pretty optimistic about what comes next.
It Wasn’t Supposed to Happen
In his first interview since the injury with Hard Court, Rune doesn’t see this as bad luck. He’s calling it an experience.
"Honestly, I think my injury was a shock for many tennis players and athletes because I never had an issue with my ankle, and my body was super healthy. I had no issues with inflammation, and I know that for sure, because after a tough spring, I had so many blood tests, cell tests, scans, MRIs, etc., done on my physical condition, and the results showed that I was super strong."
The medical tests don’t lie. Rune was in amazing shape.
"So this was not supposed to happen—this should not be possible. I’m 22 years old, I’m healthy and strong, and yet it happened. But I don’t believe in being "unlucky" or having "bad luck" in sports. Everything happens for a reason, and there is an explanation behind everything."
So what went wrong?
"So the main thing that could have caused this injury is fatigue, and that is super scary for the whole sports industry. Sport is entertainment, and we love to entertain—we love that people enjoy watching us play. We just need to make sure to listen to our bodies, too. It can be very difficult to do that when you really love to play tennis as much as I do and love the game, the tournaments, and the fans."
Taking Nothing for Granted
The injury taught Rune something pretty important – he’d been taking his incredible talent for granted.
He already won a Masters 1000 title at just 19 years old. That’s huge in tennis. Now he wants to prove he can challenge for Grand Slams.
This setback might just be the motivation he needed.
"I never doubted my love for tennis, but I took my talent for granted. I was sometimes too easy on things, and now I feel the longing, and also look back and see all the stuff I could have and probably should have done differently. Not just practice, because that is where my passion is, but all of the things around it—what you eat, etc."
It’s not just about hitting balls on the practice court. The top players obsess over every detail – diet, recovery, sleep, everything.
"To become top five and higher, to win Grand Slams, you need to do everything really consistently. But you know, not all of life is a straight line up to the goal, and the past few years… I think I also needed that phase in my life. To mature at my own pace."
The Wake-Up Call
Rune’s being really honest about where he’s been mentally the last few years. Sometimes young athletes need time to figure things out.
"It for sure cost something with my ranking and [in terms of] trophies, but maybe it was necessary for me. We can’t undo what’s done, and now with the injury, maybe this is the slap in the face I needed to make me take my talent seriously and show myself what I am actually capable of doing. I honestly can’t wait to take myself to another level."
That’s the attitude that separates good players from great ones.
Rune’s looking at this devastating injury as his chance to come back stronger than ever. At 22, he’s still got plenty of time to make his mark on tennis.
The question now is whether this setback will fuel the fire he needs to reach the very top of the game.
