Holger Rune's shock defeat to Pedro Martinez in Rotterdam draws 1-word reaction from tennis insider

Holger Rune suffered a shock defeat to Pedro Martinez in the Round of 16 of the 2025 ATP Rotterdam. Martinez's 6-4, 6-1 victory over the fifth seed drew a one-word reaction from tennis insider Jose Morgado.

Rune had been struggling with flu and called for a physio after the first set. He struggled to keep pace with the Spaniard who maintained his composure and closed the match in 88 minutes.

Jose Morgado took to X to comment on Martinez's win over the World No. 14, writing:

"Wow."

Martinez had come into the match after defeating Roberto Bautista-Agut 6-3, 6-2 in the previous round. His victory over Rune marks his first win over a top-20 player on hardcourts. He is also likely to climb up from his current ranking of World No. 44 to return to the top 40.

Martinez will next face top seed Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals on Saturday, February 8. The other three quarterfinal clashes include Andrey Rublev vs Hubert Hurkacz, Daniel Altmaier vs Alex De Minaur, and Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Mattia Bellucci.

Holger Rune to compete in Barcelona Open 2025

Holger Rune at the 2025 ATP Rotterdam. Image: Getty

Holger Rune's participation in the 2025 Barcelona Open scheduled from April 10-20 has been announced. The Dane will be eyeing a potential fifth title at the event.

Rune's game is favorable for the Barcelona claycourts. He took a liking to the surface early, winning the 2019 French Open boy's title before turning pro the following year. He has won two of his four titles - the 2022 and 2023 Munich Open - on the surface.

The 21-year-old participated in the ATP 500 event only once, in 2021. He made it to the main draw after winning in the qualifiers. However, he lost to Albert Ramos in the opening round at the time.

Overall, this season, Rune will be looking to recapture his 2022 form when he won three ATP titles including the Paris Masters against Novak Djokovic, one of his biggest wins. The former World No. 4 will also be looking to return to the top 10 this season.

Other players in contention for the 2025 Barcelona Open title include Carlos Alcaraz, Andrey Rublev, and Casper Ruud.