Holger Rune has had enough this month. During the Shanghai Masters, temperatures soared unexpectedly with unbearable humidity, causing many players to collapse, including Rune. He was so exhausted during his encounter against Ugo Humbert that he said on court, “You want players to die on the court?” As if the extreme weather conditions at the Shanghai Masters weren’t enough, Rune has now suffered a major injury blow.

At the Stockholm Open, Rune was up against Ugo Humbert in the semifinal, even winning the first set 6-2. However, a tragic incident took place in the next one. At 2-2, Rune was trying to reach for a wide ball to hit it. It was at that moment he heard something pop in his lower left leg. It was his Achilles tendon. He was left in tears before walking off the court and withdrawing from the ATP 250 tournament.

Giving an update on his unfortunate injury, Rune took to his Instagram to write, “It’s gonna be a while before I can step on court again. It’s tough. I had so much joy on court in Stockholm and it’s unbearable to think that I will not feel this energy for some time now.”

In his brief post, he mainly revealed the extent of his injury and that surgery was certain. “My Achilles is full broken on the proximal part meaning I need operation already next week and from here rehabilitation.”

He ended the post with a “See you as soon as possible.” In the case of full or partial rupture of the Achilles tendon, it can take roughly 9-12 months of recovery before returning to action. Though Rune didn’t specify a timeframe for his return, he did concede he would be out for “a while.”

Rune’s exit comes amidst a series of premature ends to the season for a number of players like Naomi Osaka and Jack Draper. While this is no doubt a big setback for Rune, he’s suffered from a bout of injuries of late that he’s been able to overcome.

A look at Holger Rune’s injury woes

Last year, Holger Rune couldn’t represent his country of Denmark at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Due to a wrist injury, he had to withdraw from the event. “I am really sorry that I will be unable to play the Olympics. It’s something I’ve been looking forward to playing and being a part of,” he wrote on X. He further mentioned that he “played with pain in my wrist throughout both the clay and grass seasons, so I have to take the medical recommendations seriously.”

Earlier this season, in April, Rune was forced to retire midway during a Monte Carlo match. Against Nuno Borges, in the second round, he lost the first set and was trailing 0-3 when he decided to leave the event. When the doctor came in to check him, he revealed that he had been suffering from illness.

Later in July, during Wimbledon, he faced a first-round defeat due to a knee injury. After winning the first two sets against Nicolas Jerry, he couldn’t maintain the lead due to the knee injury surfacing once again. Eventually, Jerry beat him with a scoreline of 4-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.

Just weeks later, ahead of the Citi Open, Rune pulled his name due to lower back pain. “Super unlucky,” he wrote on X. “Yesterday in practice my back locked and I am not fit to play today. I tried it before and nothing dramatic, just super bad timing, as I looked very much forward to play tonight in Washington.” Moving forward, avid fans of the Danish pro will hope for his timely and quick recovery so he can swing his racket once again.