Holger Rune suffered a horrific injury at the end of last year, tearing his Achilles tendon while competing at the Stockholm Open.
The former world number four underwent surgery shortly afterwards, and has since provided regular updates on his recovery.
Rune admitted he made a big mistake regarding the injury, but he bounced back quickly and has remained positive throughout the process.
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On Wednesday, Jannik Sinner sent a kind message to the young Danish star, expressing a desire to see him back on the court.
Jannik Sinner says players miss Holger Rune on the Tour
On Wednesday, Jannik Sinner advanced to the Qatar Open quarter-finals after beating Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 7-5.
To the surprise of many, Rune was pictured in the stands on Wednesday watching both Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz claim victories in Doha.
Sinner, seeded second in Doha, reached out to Holger Rune after the match, sending the Dane a heartfelt message.
“Holger, great to see you watching some tennis,” Sinner said. I really hope you have a speedy recovery.”
“We all players miss you. Hope to see you soon again on tour. Big heart. Ciao ciao”
After defeating Popyrin, Sinner will face Jakub Mensik in the Qatar Open quarter-finals. Sinner has never played the Czech star, who has beaten Jan Choinski and Zhizhen Zhang at the tournament so far.
As for Rune, he has continued to update fans on the progress of his injury.
Holger Rune’s injury update
In a post on X [formerly Twitter], Rune shared a video of himself in the gym, bouncing on his toes.
The Danish star added a message to the post, saying: “Crazy what can make you happy. Here we go. The first actual ‘jump’ since October.”
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In January, Rune posted a video of himself hitting balls on a tennis court, just three months after his horrific injury.
He said: “13 weeks since my Achilles rupture and surgery, and rehab is going really well. Hard work seems to be rewarded step by step.”
Rune’s positive attitude is admirable. After suffering such a devastating injury, one would not have blamed the Dane if he had struggled to deal with the negatives that come with a long-term injury.
However, Rune has clearly decided not to wallow in pity, instead inspiring tennis fans worldwide through his positivity and perseverance.
