Emotional Rune Tears Achilles, Retires in Pain From Stockholm Semifinals

By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, October 18, 2025
Photo credit: Tennis TV Screen Shot

Holger Rune’s Stockholm semifinal—and his 2025 season—came to a devastating end today.

The top-seeded Rune suffered a torn left Achilles tendon and was forced to retire while leading Ugo Humbert 6-4, 2-2 in today’s opening semifinal.

It’s a heart-breaking injury for Rune, who was in tears afterward and will likely be sidelined between three and six months. That means the former Paris Indoors champion will likely miss the 2026 Australian Open in January.

“It’s terrible. There is no doubt. It is a rupture of the Achilles tendon,” Aneke, Rune’s mother, wrote in a text to TV 2 Sport. “He’s out for three to six months, the doctors say. Holger is crying.”

“I think I broke it,” an emotional Rune told the trainer, who came out on court to try to aid the Dane.

The 22-year-old Rune was finding his form reaching quarterfinals or better in four of his last five tournaments before today’s injury.

Meanwhile, the left-handed Humbert advanced to tomorrow’s Stockholm final against second-seeded Casper Ruud.

Ruud saved four of five break points defeating third-seeded Denis Shapovalov 6-3, 6-4 improving to an ATP-best 10-1 indoors in 2025.

“It’s a shame for Rune and I want him back soon,” Humbert said afterward. “He played better than me and I don’t want to talk too much about the final. It wasn’t how it was supposed to happen.”

Richard Pagliaro is Tennis Now Managing Editor. He is a graduate of New York University and has covered pro tennis for more than 35 years. Richard was tennis columnist for Gannett Newspapers in NY, served as Managing Editor for TennisWeek.com and worked as a writer/editor for Tennis.com. He has been TennisNow.com managing editor since 2010.

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