Overview
- Rune beat Bulgaria’s Iliyan Radulov 6-3, 6-3 in his first competitive match after an 11-month absence, securing a point that levelled the Davis Cup tie.
- He said the body and the repaired left Achilles felt good after the match and described the long rehabilitation as “pretty brutal,” adding he felt pride and relief to play at home.
- Rune is due to face Grigor Dimitrov later in the tie, a rematch that matters for the overall result and renews a 2–2 head‑to‑head between the players.
- The Dane’s ranking tumbled during the layoff to around the mid-100s, and he plans ATP returns at the Japan Open and the Shanghai Masters to rebuild match fitness and points.
- Rune’s comeback follows surgery for a proximal left Achilles rupture at the 2025 Stockholm Open and months of rehab that included hitting practice with Carlos Alcaraz and encouragement from peers such as Dimitrov.