Holger Rune has returned to the court as he continues recovering from the gruesome injury he sustained during his Stockholm Open semifinal last month. The young Dane was recently spotted training, hitting a series of backhands and forehands under the guidance of his fitness coach Marco Panichi.
In response to the update, Australian tennis star Daria Saville cautioned Rune about the risks of returning to training too soon during his recovery.
Daria Saville Concerned After Seeing Holger Rune Practicing Too Soon After a Gruesome Injury
Rune, who entered the event Stockholm last month as a top seed, was indeed one of the favorites. He started with a dominant 6-4, 6-4 win over Márton Fucsovics in the second round, and followed it up with a 7-6(4), 6-3, 6-4 win over Tomás MartÃn Etcheverry.
Rune showed no signs of discomfort in his semifinal against Ugo Humbert, taking the first set 6–4 and holding level at 2–2 in the second. But during a rally, he collapsed to the court clutching his leg, immediately sensing something was seriously wrong. The 22-year-old had torn his Achilles tendon, a devastating injury that ended his season.
The injury forced Rune to retire from the match, after which he underwent successful surgery. Since then, he has been steadily recovering, with fans and the wider tennis community closely tracking every update. Most recently, Rune was spotted training at the Monte-Carlo Country Club under the guidance of Panichi, the renowned fitness coach who previously worked with 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic and World No. 2 Jannik Sinner.
The video showed a determined Rune practicing while balancing solely on his right leg, with his left foot secured in protective gear. Panichi could be heard closely guiding the young Dane throughout the session.
Former Australian player Daria Saville came across the clip, and it immediately raised concerns for her. Saville, who has endured two ACL reconstructions and an Achilles surgery herself, warned that pushing so hard early in rehab can take a mental toll. She acknowledged Rune’s toughness but admitted she knows the dangers of rehab burnout all too well.
“As someone who’s been through two ACL recos and an Achilles surgery, if I’d pushed this hard this early in rehab (return to play), I would’ve gone insane. I do think Holger is built different tho 💪 but idk… I know rehab burnout too well,” she wrote on X.
as someone who’s been through two ACL recos and an Achilles surgery, if I’d pushed this hard this early in rehab (return to play), I would’ve gone insane. I do think Holger is built different tho 💪 but idk… I know rehab burnout too well. https://t.co/gZRETXZ3Dd
— Daria Saville (@Daria_gav) November 21, 2025
Rune currently sits at No. 15 in the ATP rankings and closed out the season with a respectable 36–22 record, highlighted by his title run in Barcelona earlier this year.
