Holger Rune‘s much-anticipated comeback to the ATP Tour was marked by vulnerability rather than celebration. While Rune was happy to finally be back on the tennis court, it ended in a bittersweet way. He soon issued an apology to his fans after his one-sided first-round loss.
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The former world No. 4 lost to France’s Kyrian Jacquet in straight sets, thus concluding his stint at the Kinoshita Group Arena in Tokyo. Instead of avoiding responsibility or citing physical difficulties, the Dane took full responsibility.
“First ATP tournament back after a long time away. Today I simply froze there,” he posted on his Instagram story. “I’m sorry to everyone who came to support me and everyone watching from home. Thank you for being with me and well played @kyrianjacquet.”
The contest was highly anticipated as a test of Rune’s physical condition after he had been away from the tour for an extended period due to injury. Yet Jacquet quickly took control during the very first exchange of the game. He ended with a dominant 6-3, 6-3 win in just 54 minutes. Rune failed to establish any rhythm on the court. His usual aggressive pace was completely suppressed, leading to four break points given away and no break-point opportunities created.
The form Rune showed at the Japan Open was the opposite of the brilliant competitive return he made at the Davis Cup. After being away for eleven months because of a ruptured Achilles tendon, the Dane returned in Hillerød where Denmark played Bulgaria in their World Group I match. Rather than showing a slow start usually expected after such a long recovery, he immediately asserted himself before a delighted home crowd.
An Unexpected Comeback on Home Soil
In his first match back, Holger Rune triumphed in a straight-sets win over Bulgaria’s Iliyan Radulov with 6-3, 6-3 scores. “It was a good game in a crazy atmosphere with a great team behind me,” the Denmark star stated after his first win. “It was fantastic to stand there again, a completely unique feeling. I’ve fought so hard for so long, so it was a mixture of pride and relief that now the first game was over well. The body feels good, and the game worked.”
This momentum was then carried over into the high-pressure second singles match against top-level opposition, Grigor Dimitrov. Here also, Rune stunned everyone with a dominant victory. The match was a hard-fought one and went to a tense third-set tiebreak, yet he maintained unmatched composure. In the third and deciding set, Rune won 7-6 against Dimitrov.
He won both the singles matches with great composure. This earned him widespread acclaim throughout the tennis world, as many described it as a world-class physical and mental revival. Thus, also heightened expectations for his upcoming ATP tour in Japan. Since such strong control and ability to make key shots had been demonstrated in those Davis Cup wins, the subsequent collapse in Tokyo came as a surprise.
The clear difference between playing as a team in front of a supportive home crowd and facing the lone pressure of individual tournament play became painfully obvious. Tennis can be harsh sometimes, and match consistency cannot be fully regained overnight.
Although the loss represents a painful beginning to his return campaign, he has taken full responsibility for it. Rune has set a clear benchmark for everyone on the tennis circuit. While fans are currently upset with his recent performance, Rune does not seem to be far from returning to his top and consistent form in the upcoming tournaments.