It has been barely seven months since Holger Rune suffered a season-ending Achilles injury, but the 22-year-old is reportedly planning a return to the ATP Tour at the Hamburg Open on May 17. Rune’s camp might view this ahead-of-schedule return as a big win, but former tennis pros on the “Nothing Major Show” are sounding the alarm.
Holger Rune’s Rushed Hamburg Return Sparks Major Concerns
Before the injury, the Dane had risen to a career-high world No. 4, with 5 ATP singles titles, including the 2022 Paris Masters. Last October, in the semifinal of the Stockholm Open against Ugo Humbert, Rune completely tore his Achilles tendon. Achilles tendon rupture is one of the toughest injuries an athlete can face. Usually, doctors say it takes 9 to 12 months to recover from the surgery fully. Based on that timeline, Rune is not expected to play again until late summer or fall of 2026.
However, Rune wants to beat those odds. On April 9, he surprised the tennis world by announcing that he plans to play the Hamburg Open. Former American pros John Isner, Steve Johnson, and Sam Querrey discussed this news on their podcast, “Nothing Major Show.”
“He tore his Achilles tendon in October… that’s seven months,” Isner said. “Seven months he’s coming back. I mean, dude, this is like Adrian Peterson-type stuff,” the former world No. 8 added, comparing Rune to the NFL running back famous for a remarkably fast injury recovery. In 2011, the Minnesota Vikings player recovered from a torn left ACL and MCL and returned in under 9 months to win the 2012 NFL MVP with 2,097 rushing yards.
Rune must have been working hard, but playing on the red clay courts in Hamburg is a massive risk. Clay-court tennis requires a lot of sliding and quick changes of direction, which puts a ton of stress on the legs and ankles.
Johnson didn’t hold back his worries on the podcast. “This is awful,” he said. “No one has ever done this. And we’re in a sport that you better use your legs and you better… be full go, 100% believe that you are going to be fine.”
“I hope this is not true because I just think he’s still young,” Johnson added. “Even if he takes the rest of the year off to get 100% healthy, he’s not missing out.” Meanwhile, Querrey chimed in, saying, “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
Because he hasn’t been able to play, his ranking has dropped to No. 29. If he misses more tournaments this spring, he will lose even more ranking points, and he won’t get a favorable seed for the upcoming French Open. To avoid this, Rune spent his winter undergoing intensive rehab in Doha, Qatar. By early spring, he was back on his feet. However, pushing the body too hard could risk his long-term future in the sport.
