"Holger Rune will never be a serious player" - Fans 'give up' on Dane after shocking loss to World No. 43 at Monte-Carlo Masters

Holger Rune crashed out of the 2025 Monte-Carlo Masters under unfortunate circumstances. The Dane retired mid-match in his first-round clash against the 43rd-ranked Nuno Borges. Shortly after Rune's swift exit from the ATP Masters 1000 event, several fans wondered why such episodes are becoming increasingly common for the Dane. Some questioned his attitude due to his subpar display up until his retirement.

Rune, a former No. 4 who is currently ranked 12th, was the overwhelming favorite on paper against Borges. However, the lower-ranked Portuguese dominated proceedings, cruising to a 6-2 first-set win. In the second set, Borges opened up a 3-0 lead. Here, the Dane decided to retire from the contest, citing illness. He had initially called for a doctor following his first-set humbling.

Monte Carlo Masters R1: Borges def. [10] Rune, 6-2 3-0 ret byu/pizzainmyshoe intennis

Tennis fans spanning X and Reddit were quick to deliver their reactions to Holger Rune's early exit from the 2025 Monte-Carlo Masters.

"I'm giving up on Holger Rune that guy will never be a serious player," a fan wrote.

"Holger Rune putting less then 1% of effort in. Not sure how that’s possible but he managed it. Just retire if you’re gonna act to sick / hurt to play man. S**ts so stupid. Letting Nuno Borges dismantle you is a joke. Every point is 3 shots maximum ending with a Rune UE (unforced error)," commented another.

"I always felt that Rune's physical issues would improve with time like they did with Sinner and Djokovic etc, but it feels like every second tournament he plays he has a problem and it's just not getting better at all," another fan chimed in.

Here are some more reactions from fans to the early end of Rune's 2025 Monte-Carlo Masters campaign:

"And this is why Rune can't break back into the Top 10 Too many off days throughout the season," opined one fan.

"Does Rune have a chronic illness or what? It seems there's always an issue," another asked.

"I always felt that Rune's physical issues would improve with time like they did with Sinner and Djokovic etc, but it feels like every second tournament he plays he has a problem and it's just not getting better at all," one stated.

"3rd walkover this season wtf? It’s only April!!" wrote another in disbelief.

Rune's retirement in Monte-Carlo was, in fact, the Dane's second walkover in the ongoing 2025 tennis season. Earlier this year, he retired mid-match during his second-round Mexican Open encounter against Brandon Nakashima after experiencing symptoms of food poisoning, which he later confirmed via a social media post.

"Absolutely not the way I wanted it to end" - Holger Rune on mid-match retirement in the Mexican Open 2R

Holger Rune (Source: Getty)

At the 2025 Mexican Open in Acapulco, Holger Rune was the No. 4 seed, but his journey here was short-lived. After registering a 7-6(4), 6-3 first-round win over Roberto Carballes Baena, the Dane locked horns with American Brandon Nakashima in the second round.

Nakashima raced to a 3-0 first-set lead, and this is when Rune chose to retire, handing the American a walkover into the third round of the ATP 500-level tournament. Later, the 2022 Paris Masters champion took to X and expressed his dejection at the unfortunate development.

"Furious and so sad at the same time. Had a food poisoning and was unable to play today. One of my favorite places is Mexico and I love this tournament @AbiertoTelcel. Absolutely not the way I wanted it to end."

For the most part, Holger Rune's 2025 season so far has been a disappointment, marred by illnesses and on-court inconsistencies. However, the Dane did finish this year's BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells as the runner-up behind champion Jack Draper.