Aneke Rune Tears Apart Former Cyclist for Criticizing Son Holger Rune’s Physical Struggles: “Used Doping Products for 12 Years”

Holger Rune skipped the Vienna Open after injuring his Achilles tendon during the Stockholm Open.

Aneke Rune Tears Apart Former Cyclist for Criticizing Son Holger Rune’s Physical Struggles: “Used Doping Products for 12 Years”

Aneke Rune, Holger Rune (Image via X/Jose Moron)

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Holger Rune winced in pain when he tried to return a shot from eventual runner-up Ugo Humbert from the back of the court in the semifinal of the Stockholm Open. Moments afterward, he started to limp.

While receiving treatment, he broke down in tears, eventually throwing in the towel, and limped off the court with assistance. Later, it was confirmed that he had torn his Achilles tendon.

Rune’s mother, Aneke Rune, censured the 11-month ATP calendar and claimed the schedule doesn’t allow players to rest and recover well before starting another campaign, pointing out how there’s not much time between tournaments; that continuous playing leaves players exhausted physically and mentally.

Before Stockholm, Rune was in Shanghai for the penultimate Masters 1000 of the season. There, the Dane, like several other players, complained about the extreme humidity, for which former cyclist Michael Rasmussen criticized him. But Aneke, during her interview with BT, responded to his criticism.

I heard the cyclist Michael Rasmussen say that it was simply unacceptable that Holger was not properly physically prepared for Shanghai, where he suffered from cramps in 35-degree heat with 80% humidity.

Rune suffered a three-set defeat to Valentin Vacherot in the quarterfinals. He was one of the five seeded players the Monegasque had defeated before beating cousin Arthur Rinderknech in the final to win his career’s first ATP title.

I can only respond that, given the history of the former Tour de France rider, who systematically used doping products for 12 years. I’m sure he would be well prepared for a tennis tournament in Shanghai.

Aneke Rune added

Rasmussen used performance-enhancing drugs from 1998 to 2010 and admitted to using them in 2013. The drugs he used were: EPO, growth hormone, testosterone, DHEA, insulin, IGF-1, cortisone, and he also did blood transfusions.

Boris Becker reacts to Holger Rune’s surgery

Holger Rune has successfully undergone surgery. Because of his injury, he skipped the Vienna Open and will also be skipping the Paris Masters. In short, Rune has ended his 2025 season, and it could end up forcing him to stay on the sidelines for the majority of the 2026 season. When he gave an update about his injury, Boris Becker took to X to wish him a speedy recovery.

Holger Rune
Holger Rune (Image via AllAboutHQ)

Glad the surgery went well ! Now be patient with the rehab and come back stronger!!!

Check out his post here:

Becker coached the 22-year-old for five months from 2023 to 2024. The split was due to Becker not being able to commit fully to the role due to other responsibilities.

Rune has lifted one title this year. He defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the Barcelona Open final but lost the Indian Wells Masters to Jack Draper. The last time Rune won multiple titles was in 2022 as he clinched the Munich Open, Stockholm Open, and his career’s first Big Title by beating Novak Djokovic in the Paris Masters.

In the Grand Slam events this year, the World No.10 failed to progress beyond the fourth round, reaching the last 16 at the Australian Open and the French Open. At Wimbledon and the US Open, the five-time ATP titlist lost in the first and second rounds, respectively.

Due to his rankings, it was tough for Rune to qualify for the ATP Finals, scheduled to start on November 18. Rune qualified for the year-end championships for the first time in 2023, but his run was ended by eventual runner-up Jannik Sinner in the round robin stage.

He failed to qualify for the ATP Finals last year. This year, apart from Sinner and Alcaraz, only Djokovic has qualified. But the Serb is uncertain about his participation.

Also read: “What are You Referring to?” Andy Roddick Urges Clarity from Novak Djokovic on ‘Monopoly’ Comment