“It was brutal to watch”: Andy Roddick reacts to Holger Rune’s devastating Achilles injury

Holger Rune’s 2025 season came to an abrupt and painful end last weekend in Stockholm. The 22-year-old Dane was forced to retire during his semifinal match against Ugo Humbert after collapsing mid-point, clutching his leg in agony. Moments later, as tears streamed down his face, tennis fans around the world feared the worst — and Rune himself later confirmed it: a complete rupture of the Achilles tendon.

“It’s going to be a while before I can return to the court,” Rune wrote in a heartfelt message on Instagram. “It’s tough. I was having so much fun out there in Stockholm, and it’s unbearable to think that I won’t feel that energy for a while.”

The injury — which will likely sideline him for four to six months — not only ends his season but also reignites debate around the ATP’s relentless schedule and the growing list of players battling physical breakdowns. Rune, who finished his season with a 36–22 record and a title in Barcelona over Carlos Alcaraz, now faces a long road to recovery and an uncertain start to 2026.

Former world No. 1 Andy Roddick, speaking on his Served with Andy Roddick podcast, couldn’t hide his emotion when addressing the scene. “The worst part of this week, guys — it was just impossible to watch,” Roddick said. “It was brutal. And listen, this is one of those moments where you set aside all opinions. We’ve talked about Holger before — the carousel of coaches, the inconsistent game plans — but none of that matters now. It’s just heartbreaking.”

Roddick, who knows firsthand the physical toll of elite tennis, praised Rune’s passion and work ethic despite the controversies surrounding him. “For all of his faults, the guy loves this game,” he said. “He always shows up, plays a big schedule, never mails it in. Does he get nuts sometimes? Sure — we all do. But he genuinely loves tennis. You could see it in that moment: when he realized what had happened, the emotion just fell out of his face. It was impossible to watch.”

Rune’s injury, a complete Achilles tear, will require surgery followed by months of rehabilitation. Roddick reflected on the psychological and physical barriers ahead for the young star. “The anticipation of pain sometimes carries more mental scar tissue than the actual pain,” he explained. “There’s going to be a point where he has to start taking those first steps again, and that’s a weird experience for any athlete.”

He continued, “His body is dealing with major trauma right now. When he comes back, he’s going to feel pain — and some of it’s the good kind, the kind you need to push through — but some is the bad kind, the kind you need to avoid. He has to be hyper-aware of every sensation.”

Perhaps Roddick’s most important message was directed toward Rune’s team. “If I’m in Holger Rune’s camp, the first thing I’d establish is that we are not in a rush to come back,” he insisted. “He’s 22. Let’s say he wants to play until he’s 35 — are two or three extra months really going to matter?”

The American stressed the dangers of returning too soon after such a severe injury, citing his own experience with recurring leg problems. “I blew out my hamstring a few years ago and, because I was favoring one leg, I ended up fracturing my knee twice the next year. It’s not just about one injury — it’s about the entire body and the psyche coming back together.”

Roddick believes Rune should focus on full recovery, not ranking points. “The downside of rushing back far outweighs the upside of returning a little sooner,” he said. “Maybe, if all goes well, he can play a couple of smaller events late next year — Challengers or Futures — just to get that rhythm again.”

Rune’s misfortune, while devastating, has reignited conversations about player health and the physical demands of the ATP calendar. “We talk about injuries all the time,” Roddick concluded, “but it sucks that it takes something this extreme to sober us up and remind us what these players go through.”

For Rune, the path back will be long — but if Roddick’s words are any indication, it’s one that demands patience, not pressure. “He’s got the passion,” Roddick said. “Now it’s about giving his body the time to catch up with that heart.”