Holger Rune didn’t know it at the time, but life was about to change dramatically for him soon after leaving Shanghai last year.

Following a confident run to the quarter-finals and a tight three-set loss to eventual champion Valentin Vacherot, Rune was on the cusp of breaking back into the Top 10 and challenging for a place at the Nitto ATP Finals.

Then came Stockholm.

Playing Ugo Humbert in the semi-finals of the ATP 250, the former World No. 4 tore his Achilles early in the second set and would not be seen on the Tour again for almost a year.

Returning to the Rolex Shanghai Masters this week after winning two matches at Davis Cup in late September and suffering a first-round loss to in-form Frenchman Kyrian Jacquet in Tokyo last week, Rune is hoping to convert encouraging form on the practice court to wins on the match court.

“I’m pain-free. I’m healthy, I’m happy. The game is good in training. Now I just have to deliver what I’m training into the match,” Rune said on Monday.

“The trust is there [in the Achilles]. It just feels a little bit different. I have to keep working on the plyometrics and the push-off on the court, and I’m sure we’ll get there.”

Rune plays German Daniel Altmaier in the first round, with the winner to face third seed and recent US Open finalist Ben Shelton.

Coming back on Tour late in the year is very different to returning at the beginning of the season. Rune is setting his goals accordingly.

“My wish is to get into a really good rhythm and finish the year knowing that I’ve had a lot of matches. That would put me in a position to deliver a good preseason before Australia.”