Holger Rune will not participate in the BNP Paribas Fortis European Cup in Brussels due to a back injury, marking another setback after returning from an 11-month hiatus caused by an Achilles injury. The Danish player made his comeback in September during the Davis Cup and later competed in the Japan Open and the Shanghai Masters, but failed to secure any victories in those events.
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Rune announced his withdrawal on X, stating, "Unfortunately, I won’t be able to play in Brussels as planned. My back has seized up, but fortunately, scans have confirmed that it’s nothing serious. So 2-3 days rest. Just really annoying and unfortunate timing."
Given that the injury is not serious, Rune is expected to return to action soon, potentially at the Vienna Open or the Swiss Indoors in Basel, both starting on October 26. He is also aiming to compete in the Paris Masters in November, the last 1000 event of the season.
In his recent performance at the Davis Cup, Rune had notable victories against Iliyan Radulov and Grigor Dimitrov, contributing to Denmark's narrow win over Bulgaria. However, his return to the ATP Tour did not go as planned, as he lost in the first rounds of both the Japan Open and Shanghai Masters, leading to his current ranking of No. 195.
Rune's withdrawal adds to the list of significant player exits from the Brussels tournament, which has already seen notable withdrawals from Felix Auger-Aliassime and Casper Ruud. Auger-Aliassime has pulled out due to a knee injury sustained during his match against Ruud in the Shanghai Masters, announcing his two-week break to focus on recovery. Ruud's withdrawal from Brussels follows his recent defeat in Shanghai, the reason for which has not been publicly clarified.
With both Auger-Aliassime and Ruud absent, Arthur Fils has emerged as the leading contender for the title in Brussels, holding the top seed position and aiming for his third title of the season, alongside potential ATP Finals qualification.