Holger Rune’s Mother Slams ‘Outdated’ ATP Calendar for Forcing Players to Participate After His Achilles Tendon Injury
Holger Rune ended his season after playing two finals and winning the Barcelona Open by beating Carlos Alcaraz.
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Aneke Rune, Holger Rune (Image via X/Jose Moron)
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The tennis governing bodies have been dealing with criticism from all corners, as many from the tennis community are accusing them of caring only about business and of the players’ well-being, by forcing them to be always on the move. The ATP, which starts in late December, doesn’t end before November.
The critics of the ATP calendar argue that because of the mandatory events, players are afraid of losing the ranking points, and even if they want to focus on rest and recovery, the fear of losing points forces them to sign up for events. Holger Rune did not have any problem with the long calendar, as he said the same in his pre-tournament press conference in Stockholm.
However, he did not like the new rule for the ATP 500 events. As per the new rule, players have to feature in four ATP 500 events in a season, including one after the US Open. In Stockholm, Rune injured his Achilles tendon and limped off the court in tears. His mother, Aneke Rune, during an interview with BT, harshly criticized the calendar.
There have simply been too many mandatory tournaments. Tournaments that players are forced to participate in, and where they are severely penalized financially for not playing all of them. Players simply do not have time to properly recover during the season.
Aneke Rune said
Aneke explained that instead of grinding on the court continuously week after week, players need to do some light training and replenish their energy. She also pointed out that during tournaments, players have to complete the mandatory media events.
I believe unrealistic pressure is being exerted on the players, which in the worst case could lead to the use of inappropriate methods to keep up with the ATP calendar. These are outdated punitive methods and have no place in 2025.
Aneke Rune added
Rune tore his Achilles tendon while returning the shot from the back of the court while playing against Ugo Humbert. The Dane was chasing his second title of the season following the Barcelona Open.
Holger Rune undergoes surgery on his Achilles tendon
Holger Rune’s 2025 season has ended. After the Stockholm Open, he was scheduled to play the Swiss Indoors and later, the Paris Masters. On October 21, the 22-year-old took to his Instagram to reveal that he had successfully undergone surgery.
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.
Apart from the Barcelona Open, Rune also reached the final of the Indian Wells Masters but failed to go past Jack Draper. The year when Rune won multiple titles was 2022, as he lifted three trophies from five finals appearances. He is expected to play the Brisbane International next year, as it was the first tournament he played this season.
Several players have ended their season like Rune. Britain’s Emma Raducanu suffered from an illness that forced her to retire from her two previous matches. Paula Badosa, Daria Kastkina, and Elina Svitolina have also ended their seasons.
Draper has been on the sidelines since his defeat in the third round of last year’s US Open. Naomi Osaka suffered a leg injury during the Japan Open and decided to withdraw from the quarterfinals.
Novak Djokovic, at this stage of his career, is not paying heed to rankings or mandatory events as his only goal at present is to win his 25th Grand Slam title. He threw up his gut multiple times during the Shanghai Masters due to intense heat and humidity.
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