Holger Rune has confirmed his intention to play the Bitpanda Hamburg Open as he works back from an Achilles injury. The 22-year-old, a former world No. 4, appears to have chosen the ATP 500 event — which falls the week before Roland Garros — as a likely starting point for his return to the tour. The tournament announced Rune’s plans in an Instagram collaboration post, with the caption: “The comeback begins,”.

Rune remains on the entry list for the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, Rome’s ATP Masters 1000 event that takes place before Hamburg, leaving open the possibility of a sequence of clay-court appearances. He has not competed since last October, when he suffered an Achilles tear at the BNP Paribas Nordic Open in Stockholm.

Throughout his recovery Rune has shared regular updates on social media, documenting a rehabilitation and training program carried out between Doha and Monte Carlo. Early in the year he published a video of himself hitting forehands from a fixed position. In February he offered a fuller assessment of his progress: “Just entered week 17 of my rehab and did my first small jumps. Progressing very well, step by step. Just before Christmas I could barely walk, so the progress is extremely satisfying for me.”

That timeline underlines the measured nature of his comeback. The combination of kept entries and public rehabilitation posts gives a clear picture: Rune and his team are plotting a return that could include Rome and Hamburg to rebuild match fitness ahead of the remainder of the clay season. How quickly he moves through practice, small on-court movement and competitive matches will determine whether that plan comes to fruition.

Photo credit: © 2025 Pedro Salado

Joao Fonseca produced a commanding performance to reach his first ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinal, defeating Matteo Berrettini 6-3, 6-2 in 74 minutes. The 19-year-old Brazilian broke Berrettini four times and fired a forehand that registered 105 mph on the radar.

Fonseca built pressure on return games and held serve with authority throughout the match. “It was a pretty good match (from) the beginning, playing really aggressive, putting a lot of pressure on the return games and doing pretty well on the service games, as well,” he said in press.

He acknowledged the threat posed by Berrettini’s weapon. “Berrettini has a huge forehand. When I played him for the first time, it was difficult for me. We were playing, well, indoors, and it was Davis Cup, and he was hitting forehand like crazy.” Against the Italian on clay, Fonseca neutralized that shot by staying aggressive and taking the ball early.

The victory follows Berrettini’s 6-0, 6-0 win over Daniil Medvedev the previous day. For Fonseca, it also marks a return to form after a low back issue disrupted his first two months of the season. “Preseason came, and unfortunately I got an injury. I was trying to get back with rhythm and physique,” he said. “Then after I came back from Australia, I had some weeks to prepare. We have been working a lot on my movement on clay and hard, and soon enough on grass.”

Since Indian Wells, Fonseca has collected seven Masters 1000 wins, matching his 2025 total across seven events. During the Sunshine Double he tested himself against Jannik Sinner (Indian Wells) and Carlos Alcaraz (Miami).

Currently ranked world No. 40, Fonseca faces Alexander Zverev in the next round. A win over Zverev is projected to propel Fonseca back inside the Top 30, furthering the rapid progress the teenager has made this season.

Felix Auger-Aliassime advanced to his first Monte Carlo quarterfinal when Casper Ruud retired with a leg injury, the match recorded as 7-5, 2-2 at the time of the stoppage. The 25-year-old Canadian’s progress, albeit via retirement, marks a notable career milestone: he has now reached the quarterfinals or better at each of the nine Masters 1000 events at least once.

Prior to Monte Carlo, Auger-Aliassime had reached this stage at Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, Rome, Canada, Cincinnati, Shanghai and Paris. Monte Carlo was the only Masters 1000 stop missing from that list until Ruud’s withdrawal completed his set.

He is also the third player born in the 2000s to record quarterfinals or better at all nine Masters 1000 tournaments. The others are world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and world No. 2 Jannik Sinner. Alcaraz, born in 2003, completed his career set at Rome last year, where he eventually went all the way to the title. Sinner, born in 2001, completed his career set later last year in Paris, where he too eventually went all the way to the title.

Auger-Aliassime is the first Canadian to achieve this career collection of Masters 1000 quarterfinals. Milos Raonic, now retired, came close but missed Shanghai. Denis Shapovalov is the next-closest among Canadian players, currently missing Indian Wells, Monte Carlo, Cincinnati and Shanghai in his Masters 1000 quarterfinals tally.

Maintaining this career-best run in Monte Carlo will present a sterner test. Up next for Auger-Aliassime is Jannik Sinner, who reached the round by beating Tomas Machac in the third round on Thursday, 6-1, 6-7 (3), 6-3. The encounter will pit Auger-Aliassime against a player who completed his own Masters 1000 quarterfinal set last year and who arrives having won important matches on the clay swing.