With a “pop,” Holger Rune’s season came to an end. Literally. On October 18, while chasing a shot against Ugo Humbert in the middle of his semifinal at the Nordic Open in Stockholm, the 21-year-old Dane heard the dreaded sound of a complete rupture of his left Achilles tendon. He was sprinting for the ball one moment, and then he was on the court, gripping his leg, telling the physio that he had heard a “pop.” Fans realized right away that this was going to be a difficult one, though the road to recovery has already begun.

Rune later took to Instagram to confirm the diagnosis and his plan. “It’s gonna be a while before I can step on court again. It’s tough,” he wrote. “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.” Fast-forward a few days, and there’s some good news on October 21st: Rune’s surgery went smoothly.

In a post by @Olly_Tennis on X, Rune’s words were shared: “I’m glad the operation went well, I’ll get over this moment. I know it takes patience, but I will work hard in rehab every single day and give everything I have to come back strong.” Along with it, they shared the Instagram Story from his mom, Aneke, who had posted a picture of him smiling from his hospital bed, captioned simply, “cool Holger.”

Later, Holger shared an Instagram post from his bed, his left leg elevated. He wrote, “Hi everyone. Surgery went really well today. Thank you for all your incredible messages and support ❤️ I will keep you updated on my recovery. But now rest and heal.” But when will he be back?

Recovering from an Achilles rupture takes time, months of rehabilitation and endurance. However, it seems that Holger Rune is already imagining his comeback. Nonetheless, it’s an injury that takes roughly 9-12 months to return from. Rune won’t be expected back until next year’s US Open at the minimum, and that too assuming his rehab goes smoothly.

His mother, Aneke, has been open about the difficulty that lies ahead. She revealed that medical staff had told her Rune’s injury was “very bad.” And that he would need at least six months before returning to action.

But now, hope is on the horizon. And Holger Rune’s mother has also weighed in on the discussion, denouncing the ATP.

Holger Rune’s mother joins the fight for recovery over revenue

Aneke, Holger Rune’s mother, has had enough of what she refers to as tennis’ “relentless treadmill.” She publicly criticized the ATP’s harsh schedule after witnessing her son sustain an Achilles injury. She says players are being pushed to compete instead of taking much-needed rest.

“There have simply been too many mandatory tournaments,” she told Danish outlet BT. “They are severely penalised financially by not playing them all. The players simply do not have time to recover properly throughout the season...there are mandatory media events for every single tournament. There is no rest – neither physically nor mentally.”

She described weeks that should be for recovery turning into constant travel, matches, and media duties, leaving players running on fumes. Her annoyance contributes to an expanding discussion within the sport. The majority of the major Masters 1000 events have expanded from seven to twelve days, and the men’s season already lasts eleven months.

Even elite bodies can’t handle that, according to Aneke. “You have to include training weeks where you can work physically and optimise your game and prevent injuries,” she said. “It’s a lot for the body… it’s almost impossible to be sharp in everything.”

She also attacked the ATP’s event-skipping penalty system. “If you miss one of the mandatory Masters 1000 tournaments your total share is reduced by 25 per cent,” she said. “These are old fashioned punishment… they have no place in 2025.”

But Holger Rune isn’t alone in this recovery time. Still having trouble after Shanghai, Novak Djokovic recently retired in the middle of a match at the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia. For months, Carlos Alcaraz, who lost to Jannik Sinner in that final, has been saying that the season is too difficult. Alcaraz said, “They’re going to kill us somehow.” And now, Holger Rune is embarking on a protracted road to recovery.