"I felt my foot completely dead — it scared me”: Holger Rune opens up on Achilles rupture and long road back

Holger Rune has granted another interview as he continues his recovery process after rupturing his Achilles tendon and undergoing surgery a couple of months ago. The former Paris Masters champion endured a disastrous end to the 2025 season — at a time when he was still fighting for a potential Top 10 finish — but ultimately saw his campaign cut short by a high-complexity injury.

An Achilles tendon rupture can sideline a player for between six and nine months, or even longer depending on the patient. The Dane suffered the injury in the Stockholm Open semifinals against Ugo Humbert. Leading 6–4, 2–2, Rune was forced to retire mid-match.

“I felt as if the ground collapsed beneath me; it was like being in the middle of an earthquake. The first thing I thought was that there was something wrong with the court,” Rune explained in a recent interview with Marca. “It didn’t hurt — my foot simply detached from my body. It was a really strange experience.”

“When the physiotherapist came to treat me, I told him I wasn’t going to retire. I was a set up and I was convinced that with some taping I could finish the match. It was the physio who warned me, after touching the tendon, that it was ruptured. We confirmed it with a test in the physio room. I felt my foot completely dead. Honestly, it scared me.”

Rune retired from the match and officially brought his season to an end, despite still having a couple of commitments ahead. However, the injury forced a complete change of plans. He travelled to Monaco to undergo an MRI scan, and just four days later he was entering the operating theatre for surgery.

“I had never suffered a serious injury before, nor had I ever been under anaesthesia. I was more worried about being put under than about the surgery itself,” said the 22-year-old.

“I trusted my surgeon a lot because he is also the doctor of the Danish national football team. If he was able to save Christian Eriksen, I was sure he could fix my Achilles tendon — and he did. Everyone at the hospital was very kind, and I felt I was in good hands.”

The big question surrounding Rune now is when he will return to the courts. The former world No. 4 is 12 weeks removed from his last appearance, and although it took him several weeks just to walk again, Rune has recently picked up a racket and has even been seen hitting from the baseline — albeit still far from being ready for elite competition.

“A lot of people ask me the same question. With the Achilles tendon, it’s complicated. It’s not like a muscle, where you can monitor progress with an ultrasound and see that it’s fine; the tendon needs to be strong,” Rune explained. “Many people don’t realise that the Achilles tendon can withstand up to a tonne of pressure during explosive movements, so even when it feels good, there can still be a lot of recovery left.”

“Right now I’m trying to walk again after almost two months without doing so. I can’t venture to say where or when I’ll return. They say that being patient at the beginning makes things faster at the end. I hope to regain the mobility a tennis player needs by mid-February, and from there gradually rebuild my level.”

Rune was also asked about his future objectives and how his outlook has changed following the injury. “My goal is to walk normally, without limping. It requires a bit more calf strength than I have right now, but it’s improving quickly; I feel better every day,” Rune said. “The other objective is to build overall strength and prepare myself gradually for February 12, which will be four months after surgery — that’s the next step.”

“My goal is to be able to move around the court and look like a tennis player,” added the 2025 Barcelona Open champion. “Depending on my progress from January 12 onwards, I might be ready to do some jumps in February, like split steps. Maybe more. But we’re taking it step by step.”