Holger Rune makes blunt remark about not playing at Argentina Open again; criticizes conditions after shocking exit

Holger Rune made a blunt statement following his shocking second-round exit from the ATP 250 event in Buenos Aires. The Dane lost in straight sets to home favorite Mariano Navone, battling both his opponent and a jeering crowd throughout the match.

Rune entered the Argentina Open as one of the favorites alongside Alexander Zverev. As the second seed, he received a first-round bye, but his campaign quickly turned challenging in the second round. Backed by a passionate home crowd, Mariano Navone dominated the first set 6-1.

Despite leading 6-5 in the second set, Holger Rune couldn’t hold off Navone’s resurgence. The Argentine forced a tiebreak and clinched it 7-6(2) to book his place in the quarterfinals. While Navone now faces Brazil’s Joao Fonseca, Rune criticized the court conditions in Buenos Aires. Speaking to the media post-match, the 21-year-old even cast doubt on returning to the tournament in the future.

“The Buenos Aires tournament is well organized, but the courts are not good. I don’t know if I will play here again. I will review my calendar,” he said (via Match Tenis).

Navone played with remarkable efficiency, hitting four aces and 19 winners. In contrast, Rune managed 22 winners but struggled with consistency, committing 46 unforced errors—30 more than the Argentine's 16. Additionally, Navone dominated the shorter exchanges, winning 62% of rallies lasting three shots or fewer.

Holger Rune's second-round defeat at the Argentina Open brought his win-loss record to 5-4 in the 2025 season

Holger Rune at ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament - Image Source: Getty

Holger Rune has struggled to find his rhythm in the 2025 season. The former top-10 player had a disappointing start, suffering a one-sided 5-7, 3-6 defeat to Jiri Lehecka in the opening round of the Brisbane International. This was a stark contrast to his performance last year when he reached the final in Brisbane.

The Dane looked strong at the Australian Open, which concluded last month. He began his campaign with a hard-fought win against Zhizhen Zhang before overcoming Matteo Berrettini 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(6) in the second round. In the third round, he endured another tough five-setter against Miomir Kecmanovic. However, his run ended in the fourth round with a loss to eventual champion Jannik Sinner.

At the ATP 500 event in Rotterdam, Rune struggled to build on his solid start. He opened with a straight-sets win over Lorenzo Sonego but fell short in the second round, losing to Spain's Pedro Martinez.

Moreover, the 21-year-old's shocking exit from Argentina Open met with heavy criticism from the fans online.