“So sorry guys. My knee had caused problems since the incident in the first match. Yesterday was bad. Today I tried it wasn’t good,” said Danish tennis ace Holger Rune as shed light on the reason behind his mid-match withdrawal from the 2024 ‘German Open’ QF against Frenchman Arthur Fils. Unfortunately, that was just one of the many times Rune has been taken out out the Tour over injury concerns. Earlier in 2023, he had to take time off because of a back issue, and since his BMW Open triumph that year, he has struggled to claim another title till now. Its been quite a dry run. Unfortunately, the physical struggles persist till date – this time, forcing him to withdraw from the Mexican Open and adding to this season’s setbacks.

The ATP 13th seed kicked off his Acapulco Open campaign with a solid performance, overcoming Spain’s Roberto Carballés Baena in straight sets. Despite being pushed to a tie-break in the opening set, Rune held his nerve to take it 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, and reached the R16. His stats backed up his strong showing overall, winning 76 percent of 1st-serve points and converting 3 of 6 break points, compared to Carballés Baena’s 2 of 4. However, next up, he faced 23-year-old American Brandon Nakashima; it was their 4th H2H encounter, with the American holding a 3-0 H2H advantage previously. Just as the match reached the 41-minute mark, things took a turn.

Brandon came out firing, dominating early and racing to a 3-0 lead in the first set with a 100 percent 1st-serve win rate. However, just as the match was gaining momentum, Rune was forced to withdraw, handing Nakashima a spot in the QF. As reported by Tennis TV’s X handle, “Unfortunately Holger Rune has been forced to retire, sending Nakashima through, 3-0 RET. Get better soon, Holger 😔 #AMT2025”, highlighting the unfortunate turn of events for the Danish star.

This isn’t the first time the Danish has had to withdraw mid-tournament. Despite aiming for a strong performance in the Australian Open, where he lost in the fourth round to the eventual champion, Rune faced back-to-back early exits in Rotterdam and Buenos Aires. He announced his withdrawal from the Rio Open on social media, citing illness as the main reason for his decision. In his statement at the Argentina Open too, he admitted to struggling with health issues and apologized to fans who had come to watch him; he lost in the R1 match against a 23-year-old local Mariano Navone.

“Looking back I think it was too early to play after my influenza last week. My shoulder was not working and the whole body seemed extremely vulnerable. I will take the time and get proper rest now. When the body is not there, the brain shuts down and I am just very sorry I couldn’t deliver what I wanted on court today. Sorry Argentina,” he even added on his X handle after Buenos Aires.

So as things stand, Nakashima will play against David Goffin, who defeated American Ben Shelton 7-6 (3), 6-3 in a straight-set match. From the Danish’s perspective, recurring injuries have been a major setback in his career, frequently forcing him to withdraw from tournaments. And these physical struggles have undoubtedly disrupted his momentum, making it difficult to maintain consistency on the Tour.

Holger Rune and his long list of injuries which cost him Olympics debut

In the Open Era, turning pro in 2020 after being a Junior No. 1 and reaching QF at both the Roland-Garros and Wimbledon is no small feat. That’s what sets the Danish Holger Rune apart from many modern ATP stars. By 23, the former No. 4 had already made a mark, defeating Novak Djokovic in 2022 and establishing himself as a future contender on the ATP Tour. However, his journey has been plagued by injuries.

In 2024, Rune faced a major injury setback, pulling out of the ‘Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag’ to rest his wrist after medical exams revealed it was pretty banged up. Additionally, just a week earlier, he was forced to retire from his Hamburg Open QF because of a knee injury. However, the biggest blow came when Rune had to withdraw from the Summer Olympics in the City of Love. A lingering bone bruise on his left wrist derailed his plans to participate in the event, delaying his Olympic debut once again after the Dane had already narrowly missed qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Games.

“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. I have played with pain in my wrist throughout both the clay and grass season, so I have to take the medical recommendations seriously. I will follow the Olympics from home and cheer on all the Danish athletes and I hope and believe that we can bring home many medals from Paris. Come on, Denmark!” he then added on his X handle. 

Do you think he might be able to make it back to the upcoming Indian Wells Open following his withdrawal in Mexico? Share your thoughts below!