‘Quick learner’ Holger Rune injury recovery update issued by fitness trainer
Holger Rune’s fitness trainer has revealed how the “quick learner” is managing the recovery from his major Achilles injury.
Danish star Rune suffered a broken Achilles while facing Ugo Humbert in the semi-final of the Nordea Open in Stockholm in October, instantly ending his season.
The 22-year-old has since undergone surgery, but the injury is seen as hugely significant, with the five-time ATP Tour titleist and former world No 4 set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Rune has revealed some details of his ongoing recovery in a range of social media posts in recent weeks, with the world No 15 appearing to be in good spirits despite the nature of the injury.
The Dane’s recovery is being guided by fitness coach Marco Panichi, who joined Rune’s team earlier in 2025.
In quotes reported by Ubitennis, Panichi — one of the most experienced fitness coaches on tour — revealed how he, Rune, and the wider team were managing the 22-year-old’s training.
“We restored order,” said Panichi (translated from Italian). “First of all in load management, then in the quality of movement.
“Holger always tends to give his all, but when you need to recover, you need discipline: progression, controlled intensity, respect for the times. In certain moments, the right thing to do is to slow him down.
“Restoring symmetry, balance, and confidence in his movements. An explosive athlete like him needs to feel his body free. When he starts to trust his support and acceleration again, everything changes.
“He’s moving the way he wants to again. He’s started to feel his body fluid again. He’s young, he reacts well, and he’s a quick learner. The key is to empower him to express his intensity, but efficiently.”
One of the most successful fitness coaches of recent times, Panichi worked with the likes of Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner before joining Rune’s entourage in August 2025.
The appointment was considered a strong run for the Dane, who, while long-recognised as a prodigious talent, was often criticised for fading physically during matches.
Speaking further about initially joining the 22-year-old’s team four months ago, Panichi opened up about his initial priorities with Rune before the Achilles injury.
He added: “Holger is a guy with enormous potential. Explosive, coordinated, with a very strong natural instinct. But he tends to use a lot of excess energy, especially when it’s not needed. The first job was to help him manage it.
“When I arrived, Holger was coming through a difficult period. There wasn’t one ‘big’ injury, but a combination of things: fatigue, compensations, small stiffnesses that limited his expressiveness. His body was sending clear signals.
“For someone like him, who bases his tennis on speed and the ability to change direction, even 10% less efficiency becomes a huge limitation. If his body doesn’t respond, everything changes: posture, support, reaction times. He moved, but not the way he knows how to move.”
Rune’s comeback date is not yet confirmed, though the Dane will certainly miss the start of the 2026 season, including the Australian Open in January.
Prior to his injury in Stockholm, 2025 had seen the 22-year-old end a two-year wait for an ATP Tour title at the Barcelona Open — beating Carlos Alcaraz in the final — and also finish runner-up at Indian Wells.
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