Holger Rune withdraws from Rio Open, cites injury after Argentina Open controversy

Holger Rune has withdrawn from the ATP 500 Rio Open following his recent criticism of the Argentina Open. The Danish player suffered an early exit in his first match of the Golden Swing in South America, falling to local world No. 47 Mariano Navone 1-6, 6-7(2).

After the unexpected defeat, Rune made headlines with his post-match press conference, where he criticized the court conditions in Argentina. “The Buenos Aires tournament is well organized, but the courts are not good. I don’t know if I will play here again. I will review my calendar,” he said.

The press conference lasted only three minutes, with Rune showing little interest in answering media questions, giving short responses that sparked criticism.

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The 21-year-old was the second seed in Buenos Aires, behind Alexander Zverev, and would have also been the second favorite in Rio. However, Rune cited an injury to skip the Brazilian tournament, which begins next Monday. “Holger Rune will unfortunately not be playing at the Rio Open 2025. We wish you a speedy recovery and hope to see you soon, @holgerrune! ❤️,” the official Rio Open account posted.

With Rune’s withdrawal, the Rio Open loses one of its biggest names. The draw is now led by Zverev and also features Lorenzo Musetti, Francisco Cerúndolo, Nicolás Jarry, Alejandro Tabilo, Sebastián Báez, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, and João Fonseca, among other stars.

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