Holger Rune’s Ex-Coach Patrick Mouratoglou Explains Why Torn Achilles Tendon is ‘Best Thing That Happened’ to Him
Holger Rune won just the Barcelona Open and also played the final of the Indian Wells Masters.
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Patrick Mouratoglou, Holger Rune (Image via X/Olly Tennis)
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A torn Achilles tendon is a serious injury, and for sportspeople, it can keep them on the sidelines for 4-12 months after surgery. Holger Rune became the latest athlete to rupture his Achilles tendon while returning a shot against eventual runner-up Ugo Humbert in the semifinal of the recently concluded Stockholm Open. He has successfully undergone surgery.
Despite the severity of such an injury, Serena Williams‘ former coach Patrick Mouratoglou, who also coached Rune, thinks it could end up being the best thing that happened to the Dane. On his Instagram, Naomi Osaka‘s former coach thinks that being on the sidelines and not consumed completely by tennis could help Rune discover interesting things that he liked to do but couldn’t because of his tennis career.
This is the worst thing that can happen to a professional player. But maybe in two years, Holger might think that’s the best thing that happened to me. I always say that in the most difficult moments, that’s where the most interesting things happen most of the time.
Rune’s mother, Aneke Rune, blamed the ATP calendar for Rune’s injury. She thinks that playing continuously week after week and not having much time between tournaments for rest and recovery leaves the players mentally and physically exhausted. Rune was also struggling during the Shanghai Masters because of the extreme humidity.
He cannot see it now, but in a few weeks after his surgery and his rehab, he is going to open probably to other things that he doesn’t have the time to do the rest of the time because he’s fully into his tennis. He’s really driven by tennis; he’s really obsessed with tennis in a good way. So he doesn’t have much time to think, to study, to discover other things. So I think it can be a great moment to reflect.
Patrick Mouratoglou added
A journalist on Eurosport Italia shared the same opinion as Mouratoglou but was criticized by Matteo Berrettini. The former World No.6, whose career has been marred by injury problems one after the other, couldn’t understand how an injury of that magnitude could be the best thing for a 22-year-old who is ranked No.10 in the world, saying such remarks show how they know little about sports in general.
Ben Shelton wishes Holger Rune a speedy recovery
Had Holger Rune played the Swiss Indoors, both he and Ben Shelton would have been in the same draw. Shelton recently recovered from a shoulder injury that he suffered during the US Open and made his comeback during the Shanghai Masters.
But his run ended in the opening round, losing the match in straight sets to David Goffin. At Swiss Indoors, then, the 23-year-old overcame Kamil Majchrzak in the first round before he suffered a straight-set defeat at the hands of Jaume Munar. When Shelton heard about Rune’s injury, he took to his Instagram story to wish him a quick recovery.
Hate to see this. Praying for a speedy recovery, Holger Rune.
Ben Shelton wrote
Both Shelton and Rune have won one title this year. The American lost the Munich Open title to World No.3 Alexander Zverev but won the Canadian Open by going past Karen Khachanov, winning his career’s first Big Title.
His next goal is to win the Paris Masters, the last Masters 1000 of the season, scheduled to start on October 27. Last year in the tournament, he lost to Arthur Cazaux in his second match. Rune, on the other hand, lost the Indian Wells Masters final to Jack Draper but won the Barcelona Open by beating six-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz this year.
Also read: Elena Rybakina Admits her “Last Push” For a Place in the WTA Finals has Taken a Toll on her
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