Holger Rune suffered a comprehensive 6-3, 6-1 defeat to France’s Kyrian Jacquet in the opening round of the ATP 500 in Tokyo. The Thursday loss marked a difficult return to the ATP 500 circuit for the former world No. 4, who spent a year sidelined following a severe left Achilles tendon rupture sustained in Stockholm in October 2025.
A Long-Awaited Return Interrupted by Jacquet
Entering the tournament ranked 188th in the world, Rune struggled to find his rhythm against Jacquet. The French player capitalized on the baseline exchanges, sealing the straight-sets victory to advance to the next round. For Rune, the Tokyo hard courts represented his first individual tour-level appearance since his injury and rehabilitation.
Before traveling to the Japanese capital, Rune tested his recovery in mid-September during Denmark’s Davis Cup tie against Bulgaria. In that team competition, he secured singles victories over Iliyan Radulov and Grigor Dimitrov. However, the step up to a main-draw ATP 500 match exposed the lingering physical and competitive hurdles of a 12-month absence from the professional tour.
Rising Form for Jacquet and the French Contingent
The victory highlights a milestone week for Jacquet, who cracked the ATP Top 100 rankings for the first time just ahead of the tournament. The 86th-ranked Frenchman now advances to face Italy’s Luciano Darderi in the second round. Darderi earned his spot in the round of 16 by defeating Norway’s Casper Ruud 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.
Jacquet’s advancement adds to a strong showing for French players in Tokyo. Ugo Humbert, ranked 32nd, secured a straightforward 6-3, 6-2 win over America’s Brandon Nakashima on Thursday. Humbert joins compatriot Arthur Fils, who won his opening match earlier in the week. In the second round, Humbert will face either the Czech Republic’s Jiri Lehecka or Belgium’s Zizou Bergs, while Fils prepares to meet American Frances Tiafoe.
Next Steps in Tokyo
Kyrian Jacquet will face Luciano Darderi on the hard courts of Tokyo as the ATP 500 event continues its second-round fixtures. Meanwhile, Holger Rune must assess his physical conditioning and tournament schedule as he works to rebuild his ranking points and match fitness following his long recovery.
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