Holger Rune played decisive role in Alcaraz comeback, says Spaniard ahead of US Open

[p]Leading up to the 2026 US Open Grand Slam tournament, Spanish superstar [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alcaraz-garfia-carlos/UkhgIFEq/"]Carlos Alcaraz[/a] had been sidelined for four months with a severe wrist injury. To get fully match-ready, Rune and Alcaraz met in Alcaraz's hometown of Murcia.[/p][p]During the training camp, they played a full practice match, which Alcaraz won 7-6, 6-2. This provided the Spaniard with exactly the right level of opposition ahead of his major tournament.[/p][p]Upon arriving in New York, Alcaraz extended a big thank-you to the Dane at his first press conference, stating that the week spent with Rune had been extremely important for his comeback.[/p][embed guid="67a2cd65-1abe-482a-93f7-ee7e9b21c36e" url="https://x.com/NBSTennis/status/2093434695564628367" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"I have to thank [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rune-holger/2kRS8swG/"]Holger[/a] for coming to Murcia last week to train with me. It was a really important week for me. "He’s in really good shape. Obviously, he still needs a bit more rehab, but it really helped me realize that I was ready to come here (New York)."[/b][/p][p][b]"Holger is always welcome (in Murcia)  if he needs it. I was very happy to see him back on the court, training well and with high intensity. I hope to see him back in action soon. I can't wait to see him around. So yes, thanks to him for helping me get ready for the US Open."[/b][/p][p]Rune has been sidelined for nearly a year, but seems to be able to still strike the ball with the same feel that Alcaraz expects to encounter during his own Grand Slam comeback.[/p][p]Rune will have to wait until the Davis Cup in mid-September for his own return. [/p]