“This is what I live for”: Holger Rune begins his comeback after 11 months out

Tuesday, 29 September 2026 at 21:30

Holger Rune is back on the ATP Tour after an 11-month absence, and the former world No. 4 has made it clear what he missed most during the longest injury layoff of his career. The 23-year-old Dane returned to competition at the Davis Cup last week, winning both of his singles matches before arriving in Tokyo for his first ATP tournament since October 2025.

Rune's comeback could hardly have started better. He defeated Iliyan Radulov in straight sets before producing one of the standout wins of the Davis Cup tie against Bulgaria, overcoming Grigor Dimitrov 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(4) in a closely contested match. Those two victories gave him an immediate taste of competitive tennis again after months away from the sport.

Now ranked No. 188 in the ATP rankings, Rune enters the Asian swing with valuable opportunities to rebuild his position. He will make his Tokyo debut against Frenchman Kyrian Jacquet, who recently reached his first ATP-level semifinal at the Hangzhou Open, before continuing to Shanghai and later returning to Europe for the Stockholm Open and Paris Masters.

The road back began after Rune ruptured his left Achilles tendon during his Stockholm semifinal against Ugo Humbert last October. He underwent surgery shortly afterwards and spent months working through rehabilitation, with several planned returns pushed back. After finally stepping back onto a competitive court, however, Rune's first reaction was simple: he had missed the competition more than anything else.

'It's a privilege to be back'

Rune admitted that the excitement began before he even reached Japan, describing the feeling of simply travelling to a tournament again as something he had been waiting for throughout his rehabilitation. After nearly a year away, the familiar routine of arriving with his team and preparing for matches had regained a significance that had been easy to take for granted before the injury.

"I'm doing well. It's a privilege to be back. It's been 11 months and it's an amazing feeling,” the 23-year-old said during his pre-tournament interview. “Just getting on a plane, getting to a tournament again and being in the environment and being here with the team, getting ready to compete. This is what I live for, so it's amazing to be back."

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The Dane also found himself reminded of what had been missing when he returned for Davis Cup. The nerves arrived during the warm-up rather than in the days beforehand, but once the match began, Rune was able to play with fewer expectations than usual and produced a strong performance.

"I've missed it. I've missed being out there competing. This is probably the number one thing that I miss the most,” he added. “It's the competition. It's tough to really stimulate any other way. This is what I missed. It was great to play Davis Cup to get a little feel of it again."

From Achilles surgery to Tokyo

Rune's absence began with a serious injury at precisely the wrong moment. He was leading Humbert 6-4, 2-2 in the Stockholm semifinal when he felt pain in his left leg and was forced to retire. Medical examinations confirmed a full rupture of the proximal Achilles tendon, followed by surgery and a rehabilitation process that ultimately kept him out for almost 11 months.

The former No. 4 had previously described the recovery as a period filled with structured work, gradually progressing from rehabilitation exercises to hitting on court. The competitive return was delayed several times, including withdrawals from tournaments during the clay and grass seasons, before Davis Cup finally provided the opportunity to test himself again.

Rune holding the trophy at the 2025 Barcelona Open

Rune said there was never a point during rehabilitation when he believed he could not continue, although he acknowledged that some periods were considerably harder than others. His approach was to break the recovery into smaller targets, giving himself achievable objectives that could bring the eventual return to competition closer.

"No, never. But there were definitely tougher times than others. I would be lying if I said not. But I think I was pretty good at setting up goals for myself. Like, in one or two weeks, I want to be able to do this because that's going to make it closer for me to come back to play tennis."

The experience also forced Rune to confront what losing tennis actually meant to him. His career had already included five ATP titles, a rise to No. 4 in the world and the biggest title of his career at the 2022 Paris Masters, where he defeated Novak Djokovic in the final at just 19 years old.

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Returning to Stockholm in November will therefore carry particular significance, given that it was where his injury occurred one year earlier.

"I've had moments where it's been like, 'This is tough,' and this is normal because I built my life around tennis and being a professional athlete. And when you can't, when it's taken away from you, it is difficult. But I think I've had a good spirit, I would say, 99% of the time during my injury time. And I think all the consistent work is what led me to be here today."

Rune's immediate objective is no longer simply to return. With Tokyo, Shanghai, Stockholm and Paris on his schedule, the Dane has a short window to collect points and rebuild a ranking that has fallen to No. 188. Yet after 11 months away, his first priority appears considerably simpler: competing again. The player who won Paris as a teenager is beginning the next chapter of his career from a very different position, but with the same court waiting for him.

Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist

Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.

His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.

In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.

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