Holger Rune has already been handed a setback ahead of his return to tennis.
Rune suffered a serious Achilles injury at the Stockholm Open in October last year, and was forced to undergo surgery.
Due to the severity of this kind of injury, it was uncertain as to whether Rune would even be able to play the US Open this year.
However, Rune has already announced his comeback ahead of the French Open, where he is now facing a problem.
Holger Rune will be unseeded for the French Open this year
Rune is scheduled to make his return to competition at the Hamburg Open, but he is also entered into the mandatory Italian Open beforehand.
However, the former world number four was unable to return for the Barcelona Open, where Rune won the title last year after beating Carlos Alcaraz in the final.
As a result, Rune has lost 500 points in the latest ranking update and has dropped 12 places down to world number 39.
This is Rune’s lowest ranking since May 2022 and is particularly significant for his chances at the French Open this year.
Is Holger Rune going too quickly with his recovery?
With Rune not expected to compete before the seeding cut-off for the French Open, he will now be unseeded at a Grand Slam for the first time in four years.
This means that Rune could play anyone including Jannik Sinner and Alcaraz from the first round of the tournament.
It is also not good news for other seeded players in the tournament, as Rune would be a nightmare first round draw for other players, particularly those who are less comfortable on clay.
What is Holger Rune’s best result at the French Open?
While Rune’s ranking could cause him issues in the draw at the French Open this year, he should be encouraged by his previous results at the tournament.
The French Open is Rune’s best-performing Grand Slam, having won 76% of his matches at the clay court tournament.
Rune has reached at least the fourth round in all four of his previous appearances at the French Open, including two quarterfinal runs in 2022 and 2023.
| Year | Holger Rune’s French Open result |
| 2022 | Quarterfinal – Lost to Casper Ruud |
| 2023 | Quarterfinal – Lost to Casper Ruud |
| 2024 | Fourth Round – Lost to Alexander Zverev |
| 2025 | Fourth Round – Lost to Lorenzo Musetti |
The 22-year-old should be particularly encouraged by his run at the 2022 French Open, when Rune was also unseeded.
Rune has five weeks until making his Grand Slam return at the French Open this year, with the tournament beginning on Sunday, May 24.
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