Rune on his withdrawal in Monte-Carlo: "I feel hunted by illness"

Disappointment for Holger Rune. A finalist in 2023 and a quarter-finalist last year at the Monte-Carlo Masters 1000, the Dane will not experience the same emotions this year in the Principality.

Right from his first match, Rune, who was ill, had no choice but to throw in the towel as he struggled in his first-round encounter against Nuno Borges (6-2, 3-0 ret.). On his Instagram account, the world No. 12 reacted to his withdrawal with a brief message in his story.

"I feel hunted by illness. It's unbearable not to be able to finish my match at one of my favorite tournaments," wrote Rune, who will now have to recover to prepare for the last two clay-court Masters 1000 events of the season in Madrid and then Rome—two tournaments where he was eliminated in the third round in 2024. After that, he will have to defend the points earned from his round of 16 appearance at Roland-Garros.