Rune's Comeback Playbook: Djokovic Shows Nothing Is Impossible

Injury and Return Timeline

Holger Rune, 22, targets a rapid return after an Achilles rupture suffered last October during the Stockholm semifinal. He is undergoing an intensive rehabilitation program as he works toward rejoining competitive tennis.

Mindset, Surgery and Training

In an interview with Marca, he opened up about the injury, the surgery, and the demanding rehab plan, recalling the moment his foot seemed to detach.

"I felt the ground sinking beneath me, like I was in an earthquake. I thought the court had a problem. I didn’t feel pain, but my foot detached completely."

The Danish physio warned him when he touched the tendon and confirmed a rupture with a medical-room test.

"I was more afraid of anesthesia than surgery, but I trusted the Danish national team doctor who saved Christian Eriksen."

I wondered about a precise return date. Achilles rehab is complex; the tendon must be strong enough for explosive movements. He hopes to walk again and regain his movement as a tennis player by mid-February.

On Djokovic and the Impossible

Before the injury, Rune says the main difference with Alcaraz and Sinner was consistency; Nadal, Djokovic, and Federer did it all season. He notes this injury as a starting point to reform his discipline, hoping it will sharpen his edge.

"What Novak is doing is amazing. If you asked me about any other player his age, I’d say impossible, but with Novak, nothing is impossible."

Punchlines: If patience were a tennis shot, Rune's comeback would be a perfect backhand winner. And if the Achilles tendon had a memory, it would remember this rally as the longest match in history.