Holger Rune (Denmark), a former world No. 4 in men’s tennis, announced on his social media on the 11th that he will withdraw from the Bitpanda Hamburg Open (ATP 500, red clay, Hamburg, Germany) and the French Open (Grand Slam, red clay, Paris, France), for which he had originally planned to return.
The 22-year-old, currently ranked 40th in the world, suffered a full rupture of his left Achilles tendon during the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Nordic Open (ATP 250, indoor hard, Stockholm, Sweden) last October, forcing him into a long-term absence. He subsequently underwent surgery and focused on rehabilitation. He had been showing steady progress, posting videos of himself training on one leg on social media.
Initially, Rune aimed to return to the tour after about seven months at the Bitpanda Hamburg Open, starting on the 17th. However, he has now decided to skip both that event and the French Open, which begins on the 24th, postponing his comeback until the grass-court season starting in June.
In his social media post, Rune commented: “A tough decision, but I think it’s the right one. Thank you for your support during my rehabilitation. See you on the grass.”