Holger Rune has denied reports that he has withdrawn from the US Open, insisting he is working hard every day and hopes to compete at Flushing Meadows as he continues his recovery from a torn Achilles tendon.
The former world No. 4 has been sidelined since October, when he tore his Achilles mid-match at the Stockholm Open and retired in tears. He underwent surgery shortly after the injury.
Recovery and comeback hopes
Initially, Rune had hoped to return to the court in just seven months on the clay, but a typical recovery from such an injury takes nine to 12 months. The 23-year-old has yet to play a competitive match, postponing his comeback several times.
During an appearance on Andy Roddick's Served podcast, Rune gave a positive update, saying his Achilles feels "good" and that he is making progress on the practice courts. He also mentioned a potential return for Denmark's Davis Cup World Group tie against Bulgaria, scheduled for September 18-20, before looking ahead to the Asian swing.
Rune's statement on the US Open
Following speculation that he had ruled out the US Open, Rune took to social media to clarify his status. "I see conclusions on me withdrawing from UsOpen. I did not withdraw. I am working super hard everyday and as soon as I am ready, I am ready. I hope it will be UsOpen," he tweeted.
Rune, who has dropped to No. 99 in the world during his layoff, has been intensifying his practice sessions, hitting with players such as Jannik Sinner and Flavio Cobolli. However, he needs to "sustain" a high level of play for several consecutive days before he can set an exact return date.
Practice court progress
Speaking on the Served podcast, Rune said: "I'm feeling great. It's a long process, as we all knew it would be, but rehab is going well. Now it's less about rehab and more about getting ready to perform again. It's the last little performance details that are still missing, but it should be good within the next few weeks, the next month."
He added: "We're looking to maybe start my comeback with Davis Cup at home – that could be a possibility, and I would love that. Getting my comeback in front of all my Danish fans would be amazing. And then lead into Tokyo and Shanghai, hopefully, that's what we're training for. As we get close, we'll have to see: am I ready or not? But physically I'm holding up well, the Achilles feels good, and I'm starting to see light at the end of the tunnel now."
Rune also described his practice sessions against top players: "I trained with [Lorenzo] Musetti, with Cobolli and Alexander Muller, and hit once with Grigor Dimitrov and one time with Jannik Sinner. Every time I was like, 'Wow, I still have work to do on my footwork'. They take the ball earlier, hit deeper and more accurately. You're under constant pressure. That's why they're at the top of the game."
