By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, October 21, 2025
Photo: TennisTV screenshot
The pro circuit is no athletics cinema, but the punishing calendar has turned the ATP into a horror show for some players, says Many Runes.
In a new one interview with BT’s David Klecker, Many Runesmother and manager of Holger Rune, dropped the ATP tour’s mandatory requirements days after her son suffered a horrific Achilles tear.
Holger Rune was leading Ugo Humbert 6-4, 2-2 when he ruptured his Achilles tendon in the Stockholm semi-final on Saturday.
No one wanted the end 😔
Humbert advances to the final as Rune withdraws through injury at 6-4 2-2#BNPParibasNordicOpen pic.twitter.com/ptMV9ZkC4S
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 18, 2025
“I think I broke it,” an emotional Rune told the coach, who came out to provide treatment to the Dane. Holger Rune said he will undergo surgery to repair a torn Achilles and will be out for several months.
Aneke Rune took aim at the ATP after her son’s devastating injury.
“There have simply been too many mandatory tournaments. Tournaments that players are forced to participate in and where they are severely penalized financially for not playing all of them.” Aneke Rune told BT “Players simply don’t have time to recover properly throughout the season.
“What could have been a week off with light training and recharging is now a hectic tournament week with matches every other day, while there are mandatory media events for every tournament. There is no rest – neither physically nor mentally.”
Aneke Rune said the ATP calendar takes a cumulative toll on players who put their health at risk.
“We also have to build on it throughout the season,” Aneke Rune said. “You have to include training weeks where you can work physically and optimize your game as well as prevent injuries.
“It’s a lot on the body. For normal, healthy, well-trained bodies, it’s almost impossible to stay sharp at all that’s expected of tennis players over the course of a year.”
