"Maybe this is the slap in the face I needed to make me take my talent seriously" - Holger Rune speaks on achilles injury and ambitions for the future

Holger Rune has opened up about his serious achilles injury which will keep him on the sidelines for a long period of time. The Dane has yet to put a time frame on his return to action as he recalls the devastating moment when he realised what had just happened.

He was competing in the Stockholm Open semi-final against Ugo Humbert when he went to the ground with a painful achilles injury. The tendon was fully torn, the worst possible scenario. It ended his tournament, and most importantly his 2025 season and much of 2026 on top of that.

"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," Rune told Hard Court. "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. 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 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."

Despite the painful injury, Rune was wanting to get back up and soldier on. However, after the physio looked at it, he was forced to give the Dane the heartbreaking news.

"I didn’t believe it. I said to the physio right when it happened and he came on court, 'Don’t withdraw me.' I was up a set and on break point and I wanted to finish the match and play the final the day after. But clearly the physio knew what was going on," Rune admitted. "He told me he could both see and feel that my achilles was torn. In the locker room I cried. You know, I love to play tennis. I’m in this sport because I love it, so it’s tough."

Rune is not lacking any motivation to return to the sport he loves. "As I said before, my love for tennis is so big that I just want to come back as soon as it’s safe," he said. "So I am kind of locked in—I have no time to dwell on it or feel pity for myself. I owe it to myself to come back stronger. I have so many things I want to achieve on court and I love my life [as a tennis player], so this is a huge driver for me.

He went on to thank his fans. "My fans have been absolutely amazing, I feel like they want me back on court as much as I do. This [experience] is a lot." As well as them, Rune commented on the support from his family and team. "My family—with their positive mindset every single day, 24/7—they are crucial for me. And then of course my team. The first thing I said was, 'I need structured days, I need my team.' I am not just gone, we have a lot of work to do. There were things before the injury I could improve on, so this is the time to list all of those out and work on them. We have the time now—I can come back as a monster if we manage things right."

It will be a long process for Rune to get through before he is able to return to the court. Despite him already beginning the road to recovery, he has not stated a time to when he will be back.

"It’s too early to say right now," Rune stated. "We are only in the second phase and I am still in the boot, which is normally six weeks. The boot can come off in the fifth week if everything works well. I just know that I’ll make the maximum effort within each phase."

While the injury is obviously devastating for Rune, it is not all bad news. "I never doubted my love for tennis, but I took my talent for granted," the 22-year-old said. With his ranking set to suffer, it is back to square one for Rune who is relishing the challenge of starting fresh. With this comes a new mindset. "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. 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. 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," he concluded.