Holger Rune didn’t have a good day in the office at the 2024 Munich Open, as he lost in just 44 minutes, and his mother, Aneke, explained why.
Rune is a two-time champion in Munich, winning trophies back-to-back in the past two years. He was hoping to go all the way once more, but this week was a bit more complicated since the weather in Munich brought rain and snow, which disrupted the play.
All players were forced to play in some pretty unfortunate circumstances, and it took a toll on Rune. He looked completely out of it against Jan Lennard Struff, who, in fairness, played a really strong match.
The German was hitting the ball unbelievably well, especially from his forehand, and even the best Rune would have had plenty of difficulties against him in that semi-final match.
As Rune wasn’t at his best, he lost quite easily in two sets, 6-2, 6-0. The match actually lasted only 44 minutes, which is a rare sight, especially not on the ATP Tour, where an average set lasts anywhere from 40 to 50 minutes.
His mother spoke to Danish media and revealed the cause of his bad play: sickness. According to Aneke Rune, the Danish player had been dealing with sickness this entire week, and by the match, he was simply out of energy to match Struff, who did play a really strong match.
“Holger has been ill all week and has been running on the spare tank. It was empty today. Not much more to say about it. And credit to Struff, of course. He took advantage of his chances.”
Up next is the Madrid Open, but it’s highly unlikely that Rune will miss it. Now, whether the illness affects his overall level is a possibility, but he’ll have a few days to rest up and recover.