After controversy over $7,000 broken racket, Holger Rune issues strongly worded response to troll’s complaints about ‘detestable’ merch move

June 25, 2025

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Holger Rune recently slammed back at a troll’s complaint about his newly launched merch store. Rune launched his official online store on Sunday, June 22, 2025, with a part of the profits going to charity.

The collection includes all signed and verified books, rackets, posters, clothes, and caps, including the unique match-used Babolat Pure Aero 98 racquets—two of which have been crushed by the Danish No.1. While the unbroken racquets cost about $5,888, the broken ones are available for $7,066.

However, the initiative drew criticism from one of the trolls, who panned the 22-year-old for posting pictures of used gear sent to Africa and for putting a steep price on broken racquets.

"Went on Rune's website. This guy is so detestable man 😭 he has a page titled "Africa" and it's 3 photos of his USED stuff shipped to an unnamed place in Africa with pictures of black children standing around it. He's also selling smashed raquets for 6K on there."

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The troll's comment did not sit well with Rune, who made his stance clear, stating he assists clubs by handing over his used tennis equipment rather than throwing it away.

"That’s right. I send most of my old tennis clothes to various clubs abroad that needs equipment instead of throwing it out," Rune wrote. "A couple of years ago I also started supporting charity organisations for kids financially and raising awareness of helping where we can. I am sure we can all do more, but this is what I do right now. And what do you do ?"

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"Absolutely not the way I wanted it to end' - Holger Rune expresses his dissatisfaction at mid-match retirement in the second round at the Mexican Open

Holger Rune during the Telcel ATP Mexican Open in Acapulco. (Photo by Getty Images)

Holger Rune voiced his discontent after pulling out of the second round of the 2025 Mexican Open, citing food poisoning as the reason. He retired from the match in the first set, handing over a walkover to Brandon Nakashima.

"Furious and so sad at the same time," Rune wrote on X. "Had a food poisoning and was unable to play today. One of my favorite places is Mexico and I love this tournament @AbiertoTelcel. Absolutely not the way I wanted it to end."

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Holger Rune has been struggling with consistency so far this season, leading to early exits, including the French Open, Madrid Open, and Italian Open. He was recently defeated by Bautista Agut in the quarterfinal round of the 2025 HSBC Championships.

The World No. 8 will be back on court at Wimbledon, which commences on Monday, June 30.

About the author

Janhavi is a Sports Management graduate working as a US Olympics journalist at Sportskeeda. She emphasizes meticulous research and fact-checking before creating content, relying on multiple sources including social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter, as well as various sports publications.

She has competed in the 10m Air Rifle Shooting event at the national level alongside renowned athletes such as Anjali Bhagwat, Apurvi Chandela, and Anjum Moudgil, which further fueled her passion for the sport.

Abhinav Bindra is her favorite Olympian, and she particularly cherishes his and Neeraj Chopra's gold medal victories as they revolutionized Indian athletes' mindset towards achieving sporting excellence.

If given the opportunity to introduce a new sport to the Olympics, she would choose American Football for its widespread appeal and intense competition. Apart from reporting on the latest news in the world of Olympics, she likes to immerse herself in reading, painting, and traveling.

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