After returning from an 11-month layoff due to an Achilles injury, Holger Rune will be on the sidelines again. The Dane made his return in September with the Davis Cup and then played the Asian swing. Though Rune failed to rack up any wins in both the Japan Open and the Shanghai Masters, he continued his comeback by accepting a wild card for Brussels. But an unexpected back issue has now resulted in his withdrawal from the BNP Paribas Fortis European Open.
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“Unfortunately, I won’t be able to play in Brussels as planned,” he wrote on X. “My back has seized up, but fortunately, scans have confirmed that it’s nothing serious. So 2-3 days rest. Just really annoying and unfortunate timing.”
His mother and manager, Aneke Rune, provided further details to Danish broadcaster TV 2 Sport. According to her, Rune’s back had locked up, prompting his team to try massage and heat treatment before a doctor recommended two to three days of rest. The scans, as Rune said, ruled out anything dangerous, offering some reassurance despite the unfortunate timing.
Basel now appears to be the immediate target. The Swiss Indoors begins on October 26, and Rune’s team still hopes he will be fit enough to compete there. He could enter using a protected ranking, giving him a potential route back into the draw despite the damage his lengthy absence has done to his standing.
The 23-year-old made a strong return at the Davis Cup as Denmark took on Bulgaria. He first defeated Iliyan Radulov 6-3, 6-3 before recording a hard-fought 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(4) victory over Grigor Dimitrov, playing a key role in Denmark’s narrow 3-2 triumph.
Rune was expected to be brimming with confidence after these two results. He made his much-awaited return to the ATP Tour a few days later with the Japan Open. He met Kyrian Jacquet in the first round, but suffered a 6-3, 6-1 defeat. A similar story continued at the Shanghai Masters, where Daniel Altmaier beat Rune 1-6, 7-6, 6-4 in the first round.
The Dane is yet to record his first victory of the year on the Tour, having fallen to his lowest ranking in seven years, per TennisHead. Clearly, things have been incredibly tough for him ever since he suffered the Achilles injury at the Stockholm Open last year. It is not easy for any player to get back into rhythm right away after being sidelined for almost a year. But Rune will be hoping to get at least a few positive results before the season ends.
Novak Djokovic, who has faced Rune six times on the Tour, had also acknowledged the difficulty of returning from such a serious injury.
“His injury is one of the worst injuries that you can have. It took him away for almost a year. Match play is completely different from any practice sets or practice competition you get,” Djokovic said in Shanghai.
Carlos Alcaraz offered a similar assessment. The Spaniard had trained with Rune in Murcia, Spain, in August as both players worked towards their respective returns from injury.
Alcaraz said he had seen Rune playing well in practice (he also said Rune helped him in his own comeback), but stressed the importance of taking things one at a time. “He has to be patient because it’s going to be a slow process, but he’s going to get to the point he wants to get,” Alcaraz said.
That said, Rune’s withdrawal adds to the growing list of high-profile absences, dealing a significant blow to the tournament even before the action begins.
World No. 5 Felix Auger-Aliassime has also pulled out of the BNP Paribas Fortis European Open. He recently picked up a knee injury during his clash against Casper Ruud in the Round of 16 at the Shanghai Masters. This resulted in him not just withdrawing from the event in Brussels, but also from the Swiss Indoors in Basel.
“After injuring my knee during my match in Shanghai earlier this week, my team and I have decided that I’ll take the next two weeks off from competition,” he wrote in an Instagram post. “Unfortunately, this means withdrawing from Brussels and Basel, two tournaments I’ve won and really enjoyed playing in the past. Now the focus shifts to recovery and working hard to get back to competing as soon as possible. Thank you all for your continued support.”
Like Auger-Aliassime, Ruud will also not be playing in Brussels. He suffered a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 defeat to Rafael Jodar in the quarterfinals in Shanghai. The Norwegian was clearly not at his physical best during the match, but the reason behind his withdrawal from Brussels is unclear.
With Auger-Aliassime and Ruud out of contention, Arthur Fils has emerged as the clear favorite to clinch the title in Brussels. He is now the top seed of the tournament and will have a chance to clinch his third title of the season.