Holger Rune’s accelerated comeback from a torn Achilles tendon has encountered a setback, as the former world No. 4 has postponed his return to competitive tennis.
The 23-year-old Dane had announced in April that he intended to play at next week’s Hamburg Open, just seven months after tearing his right Achilles at the Nordic Open in Sweden last October. However, on Monday, a representative confirmed that Rune will not be ready for Hamburg or the French Open, which begins on May 24. The cause is knee irritation during the final phase of his rehabilitation. Rune now aims to return at the HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club, London in mid-June.
“I was really looking forward to making my comeback in Hamburg, and you all know how much I love the clay and how special Paris and Roland Garros have always been to me, so this has not been an easy decision to make,” Rune said in a statement. “But for me, it’s not just about being able to get through some matches, it’s about being ready for an entire tournament. I don’t want to come back feeling almost ready, but 110 percent ready when I step on court again.”
Rune had been focused on beating the typical nine-to-12 month recovery timeline for his injury. For context, NBA Hall-of-Famer Kevin Durant needed that long to return, while Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum was out for more than 10 months before returning in March. Four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers returned to practice just 77 days after his 2023 tear but did not play again for over a year.
“I am 100 percent going to be back stronger than ever,” Rune said in an interview two months after suffering the injury. “I can build myself exactly how I want to when I come back.” He also turned his rehabilitation into a documentary-style series on Instagram, showing himself hitting forehands while wearing protective boots and demonstrating various stages of movement.
Rune’s semifinal run in Stockholm, where he got injured, pushed him to world No. 10, but he will likely return outside the top 50. The Danish star reached a career-high ranking of No. 4 in 2023 after winning the Paris Masters the previous year and reaching two more ATP Masters 1000 finals. At just 23, he is a close contemporary of Carlos Alcaraz and was once tipped to match the Spaniard’s achievements. While he hasn’t reached the heights of a seven-time Grand Slam champion, Rune has established himself as a consistent top-20 player and, for a time, a top-10 fixture. The HSBC Championships, where Alcaraz is also aiming to return from a right wrist injury, begins on June 15.