"Holger Rune is one of the most promising young talents that tennis has ever seen. Known for his blistering forehand and fiery on-court personality, the 22-year-old has already made history as the highest-ranked Danish man to play the sport, with a career-high ranking of fourth in the world. Then, during the Stockholm Open semifinals in October, Rune ruptured his Achilles tendon."
"Even a sprained ankle, sustained from an awkward landing or a collision, can lead spectators to cringe and cover their eyes. Accidents happen, but Rune's horrific injury was part of a pattern of overuse that has taken some of the sport's brightest and youngest stars away from the court. At Grand Slam and Masters events this past season, players saw the largest rate of injury withdrawals or walkovers in over two decades."
"Ben Shelton, a top-10 player in the world, was sidelined for more than a month because of a left-shoulder injury, cutting short his highly anticipated 2025 US Open. A stress fracture in his back led 21-year-old Arthur Fils to miss an entire rotation of Grand Slam events. And after bowing out of last year's US Open, 24-year-old Jack Draper, the number one player in Great Britain, has been away from the sport for over seven months due to a lingering left-arm injury."
An antitrust lawsuit labels professional tennis governing bodies as cartels that exploit players and limit competitive alternatives. Young top players are facing a surge in overuse injuries, with recent seasons showing the highest rate of Grand Slam and Masters withdrawals or walkovers in over two decades. High-profile cases include Holger Rune's ruptured Achilles, Ben Shelton's shoulder injury, Arthur Fils's stress fracture and Jack Draper's prolonged left-arm ailment. Even minor injuries can force withdrawals, and multiple emerging stars have been sidelined for months. Players on social media pointed to the sport's grueling schedule as an apparent cause of the uptick in injuries.
Read at The Nation
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