(Video) Holger Rune unleashes vicious outburst at own mother prior to shock defeat in Shanghai Masters

It was a difficult night in Shanghai for Holger Rune, who directed his angry outburst straight at his mother and team during his match against qualifier Valentin Vacherot. The Monegasque would go on to cause a seismic shock, defeating Rune 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-4 to reach the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters.

Rune had suffered from cramp in the steaming conditions, and after winning the first set was unable to get the job done against the world number 204, who has become the lowest ranked player to reach the last-four of a Masters 1000 event since 1999 in an incredible achievement. Contrary to this, it is another huge blow for Rune in a challenging season, with a golden opportunity blown.

As expected, it was Rune who took the early advantage, clinching a double break for a routine first set win. He was halfway to the semi-finals, and would have been a lot closer if he had managed to take one of the two break points offered to him to go 3-1 up in the second. Vacherot would go on to break, but was instantly pegged back by the Dane. It would stay on serve until a tiebreak was needed to split the pair. After an even start, Vacherot claimed the final four points to level procedures.

It was beginning to get too much for Rune, who was becoming increasingly more frustrated with every point that went by. At 3-3 in the third, the 22-year-old found himself 0-30 down, and in a real threat of being broken. He started to shout at his mum, Aneke, who was his former manager. Aneke tried to calm him down, but Rune was not having it, as he furiously argued back in Danish.

He would turn to his box and say: "What can I do?" as he looked for answers and support. "Just keep hitting the ball with the right leg," was a response he got from his team. In this period, the serve clock was slowly winding down with it eventually striking zero which saw Rune receive a time-violation warning.

In a state of fury, he finally played the point, finding the net with a backhand. He looked like he would smack his racket on the ground but resisted the urge. Instead, he started to hurl insults to his box: "F*** you guys, f*** you." He turned and said something else to them, with the young Dane on the brink of being broken to love. Struggling with cramp, Rune found the net once more with a forehand, going down 4-3. While Rune limped back to his chair, his opponent shook his fist to his box in delight as he looked to continue the fairytale run.

After saving two break points at 5-4, he went on to claim his second match point to remarkably send him through to the semi-finals. He dropped to the ground in delight, with him now confirmed to jump into the top 100 for the maiden time. More history could be made by the 26-year-old, with Novak Djokovic awaiting him in the semi-finals.

For Rune, it is another massive opportunity spurned, and a much needed one as well. Someone who was so touted to compete with the best, it has not panned out that way. He showed fleeting moments in 2025, defeating Carlos Alcaraz to win the Barcelona Open and reaching a Masters 1000 final earlier in the year. However, his best game has not cropped up on a consistent basis, leading to numerous early round exits and more temper tantrums on court, something he has become synonymous with.