World No. 12 Holger Rune was forced to retire from his opening match at the Monte-Carlo Masters on Tuesday due to illness—another tough blow in what has already been a challenging season. Facing Portugal’s Nuno Borges, Rune struggled physically and ultimately retired midway through the second set, trailing 6-2, 3-0.
The 2023 finalist’s abrupt withdrawal sparked concern among fans, and now his mother, Aneke Rune, has spoken out with a touching message of support for her son. In a heartfelt post, she acknowledged the string of health setbacks Rune has faced in recent months.
“A shout out to you, Holger. It’s been some really tough months,” she wrote.
“We can’t always control everything, and I know you did all the right things to stay healthy and on top. Still, you were hit by a tsunami of virus, food poisoning, etc. The season is long, so don’t worry—you’ll be exactly where you want to be when the year ends. Sometimes unforeseen setbacks create an even bigger hunger.”
Rune, who is slated to play in Barcelona next week before continuing his clay season in Madrid and Rome, also took to Instagram after retiring.
“I feel hunted by sickness,” he wrote. “Unbearable not to be able to finish up in one of my absolute favourite tournaments.”
His first-round opponent, Borges, commented on Rune’s condition after the match:
“I clearly saw that he wasn’t feeling great. I just focused on my game and tried not to give him too much. I think I did a good job with that.”
Unfortunately, this isn’t Rune’s first health scare in 2025. He battled the flu in Rotterdam, withdrew from the Rio Open, and suffered food poisoning during the ATP 500 in Acapulco, where he had to retire while trailing 0-3 in his second match.
Despite these setbacks, Rune has shown moments of brilliance—most notably reaching the final at Indian Wells in March, where he was defeated by Britain’s Jack Draper.
As the 21-year-old Dane looks ahead to the rest of the clay season, fans and family alike are hopeful he’ll soon be back at full strength.
