Holger Rune will not play at the 2024 Croatia Open in Umag this week after suffering an injury at the Hamburg Open, and now the Paris Olympics are also in question.
So far, the 21-year-old Dane hasn’t had the type of year he had last year. He had a superb time on clay last year, making two ATP Masters 1000 finals on top of other solid performances.
He had played well enough to be in the Top 20 this year but hasn’t looked anywhere close to as good as he did last year when he made it to the Top 5. That obviously increased his frustration, which was evident quite a few times this year.
Another thing that has plagued him this year was injuries. He missed time earlier this year due to various injuries and is now dealing with not one but two different issues ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
He was last in action at the Hamburg Open last week, where he won two matches before retiring in the third one due to a knee injury. Any sort of knee injury so close to the Paris Olympics is not ideal, but then his mother, Aneke, dropped a bombshell news, noting that the knee isn’t the main problem.
It’s not the main problem because he has also been dealing with a wrist injury since Rome. Dealing with two injuries so close to the Olympics makes his participation at the event very unlikely, especially after he announced his withdrawal from the 2024 Croatia Open in Umag.
“Unfortunately the first exams of my wrist is not looking good. Therefore I will not be able to play in Umag this week. I am happy that I had a chance to meet all my fans here and I hope to come back and play some tennis for you as well.”
“Now some more exams tomorrow and we will see if conclusion is the same from everyone . Thanks for your support and thank you to the tournament for doing everything you could to help me”
There is an argument to be made that Rune’s withdrawal doesn’t necessarily mean that he won’t play at the Paris Olympics. The counterpoint to that would be the way Rune worded his statement.
The young Dane said that the first exams he had on his wrist were not good. Not good doesn’t turn into very good overnight and rarely does in a week, which is when the Olympics begin, on July 27th.
Another thing to remember is that he’s been dealing with this wrist injury since the Italian Open in Rome. That tournament concluded in the middle of May, and we’re at the end of July.
An injury that an athlete has carried around for two months and hasn’t gotten better likely won’t get better in a week. Still, it’s clear that Rune is doing his best to prepare for the Olympic Games to be able to represent his country in the French capital.
