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Holger Rune was in the second set of a competitive match against Ugo Humbert when he felt a pop in his lower left leg. Rune diagnosed the injury before the physio could even get to him on the court - a torn Achilles tendon.

Rune was visibly in physical and emotional pain as he was helped off the court following his retirement from the semifinal match at the BNP Paribas Nordic Open in Stockholm. Any remaining doubt on the severity of the injury was removed by his biggest supporter via a text message to reporters.

Rune's mother and manager, Aneke Rune, confirmed to Danish Media outlets that her son suffered a torn Achilles tendon and would undergo surgery to repair the rupture.

"There is no doubt. It is a torn Achilles tendon. It's three to six months out," Aneke typed in a text message to TV 2 Sport.

The timeline is still unclear, but surgically-repaired Achilles tendons are among the most lengthy and challenging rehabilitations an athlete can face. It is possible, even likely, that Rune misses almost all of the 2026 ATP season.

At just 22 years old, Rune is one of the stars in a new generation of men's players. He also suffered this injury at a younger age than others. Hopefully, this does not alter the trajectory of his promising career.

The match was more than just a semifinal of an ATP 250 event; Rune is 11th in the Race to the ATP Finals in Turin. Meanwhile, Humbert advanced to his tenth final on the ATP Tour (and sixth on indoor hard courts). Albeit, Humbert did not want to win like this.

"It was not the way I wanted to win," said Humbert. "I'm super disappointed for Holger. I hope he is going to be okay. I wish him a speedy recovery. It was a great match. He was playing a little bit better than me, but I'm really sorry for Holger."

Rune will finish his season with a record of 36-21 and is currently the World No. 11 with one singles title. Meanwhile, the fourth-seeded Humbert improves to 22-18 on the season and will face the winner of Casper Ruud and Denis Shapovalov.

The BNP Paribas Nordic Open will conclude tomorrow, Sunday, October 19. Fans can expect to hear more about Rune's surgery and rehabilitation timeline soon.

This article first appeared on Serve on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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