Holger Rune had quietly been having a solid season. Despite a few hiccups at the Grand Slams, he’s shown consistency by reaching the later stages of most ATP tournaments, including the current one in Stockholm. As the top seed who claimed a title over Carlos Alcaraz in Barcelona and reached the Indian Wells final, it’s no surprise he brought his A-game to the court once again. But his run seems to have hit a snag that could disrupt his progress.

On Saturday, Holger put up a brave fight against Ugo Humbert at the Nordic Open before what looked like a serious injury stopped him in his tracks. During the fifth game of the second set, the Dane injured himself as he sprinted to return a ball from the Frenchman.

As shared on X by Jose Morgado, Holger Rune could be seen crying, telling the physio that he “heard his achilles tendon pop.” Which, without saying, is never a good sign. Adding to the heartbreak, Morgado reported that his team was almost in tears as well. Despite being a set up on his opponent, Rune was forced to withdraw from the match at 6-4, 2-2, ending his bid for a third final this year. Capturing the mood of the moment, Morgado wrote, “Horrendous scenes.”

One fan wrote under the tweet about what this could mean for Holger, “Minimum 1 year out. Damn… get well soon Holger Rune.” That will be seen in the coming days. This type of injury often happens during explosive movements like sprinting or pushing off for a shot, exactly what happened with the Dane.

Players usually feel a sharp pain in the back of the ankle and may think they were kicked, followed by trouble walking or standing on their toes. The “pop” is the sound of the tendon snapping, a serious injury that demands immediate medical attention and often a long recovery process.

Now with him out of the tournament, Rune’s fans are feeling for their Danish star.

Holger Rune receives fan support following unfortunate exit

After hearing Rune explain the injury, one fan shared his own experience, writing, “It is almost impossible to confuse the feeling of your Achilles tendon breaking. It is a very distinct feeling, like if something hit you on the back of your leg. I feel for him. Yes, you can come back, but it will never be the same.” Several tennis players have suffered career-altering Achilles tendon ruptures.

Pat Cash tore his Achilles in 1989 and never regained his peak form after returning in 1990. Lucas Pouille ruptured his tendon in February 2025, casting doubt on his future in tennis. Storm Hunter, then world No. 1 in doubles, tore hers in April 2024, sidelining her for most of the season and making her comeback difficult. The injury is brutal in tennis, given the sport’s explosive footwork demands.

Full recoveries to the elite level are rare. As for Holger Rune, the full extent remains unclear. With enough rest and treatment, perhaps he returns stronger. But as another fan noted, “Yeah, it’s been confirmed by his mother now that it’s a torn achilles, she’s saying he’s expected to be out for 3–6 months however, I’m not so sure about that.”

One fan had a different take after the match, writing, “Imagine if he allowed the replay to happen. This probably would have never happened.” What was that all about? It began in the fifth game of the second set when Ugo Humbert caught movement out of the corner of his eye. A ball kid had shifted positions just as he lined up for a short forehand, and the Frenchman floated the ball back mid-point, clearly distracted.

Holger Rune didn’t stop playing. He charged forward, put the ball away, and earned a break point chance. That’s when the drama started. Humbert turned to the chair umpire, arguing that a let should be called because the ball kid had distracted him. But the umpire hadn’t seen the movement and stuck with her own judgment.

The debate dragged on for nearly two minutes. Rune stood by waiting, looking more restless by the second. Fans sensed his frustration. When play finally resumed, the Danish star stepped back to the baseline. Moments later, disaster struck. The 22-year-old went down with the injury on the very next point. Talk about timing.

One fan even connected it to what had happened the day before, commenting, “He should never have played this match after yesterday’s injury scare.” They might have had a point. In Friday’s quarterfinal, Rune had battled past Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-4, but not without issues. He clutched his left thigh in the decider and called for a medical timeout before getting it heavily taped.

Despite 19 unforced errors in the opening set, Holger Rune still fired 59 winners to reach his third semifinal of the season and reinforce his status as top seed and 2022 champion. When a reporter later asked how he was feeling, Rune admitted, “Not so good, honestly. But I’m very happy that I was able to finish the match. I couldn’t have done it without all you great fans. I was really struggling with my left leg, but the energy was very special.”

He had looked in trouble after losing three straight games from 3-0 in the third and needing that thigh taped tight. Could the new injury have been avoided? Maybe, maybe not. For now, all eyes are on Rune. Fans can only wait for him to break his silence and explain what really happened out there.