Tennis Player Escapes Military Service for Wimbledon Qualifiers

South Korean tennis player Soonwoo Kwon is balancing mandatory military service with his professional career and has successfully secured a spot in the Wimbledon qualifying rounds.

Kwon's story reads like something out of a movie. After reaching the pinnacle of his career as South Korea's top tennis prospect, achieving a world ranking of 52, he was compelled to put his ascent on hold to fulfill his country's mandatory military service. Currently, he manages to juggle both realities.

Alternating between military training and ATP Challenger circuit tournaments, the 28-year-old Kwon fought to return to the world's top 200, thereby ensuring his participation in the qualifying stage of the Grand Slam held on British grass.

The athlete's remarkable comeback added another chapter on Sunday when he clinched his third ATP Challenger title of the season at the Wuxi Open in China. In the final, he defeated Buyunchaokete 6-2, 7-6(2), adding this trophy to his victories at the Gwangju Open in April and the NovaWorld Phan Thiet Challenger in Vietnam earlier this year, a feat expected to elevate him to 189th in the world rankings.

Following his win, Kwon expressed his happiness and gratitude. "I'm very happy to win this title," he stated. "It hasn't been easy traveling abroad while fulfilling my military service, so I'm very grateful to the Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps for their support and consideration, which allowed me to compete again."

The tennis player further added that his current ranking should be sufficient to secure him entry into the qualifying rounds for both Wimbledon and the US Open.

In South Korea, all able-bodied men are required to complete military service before the age of 28, a law that applies to everyone, including athletes, celebrities, and pop stars, such as the members of the band BTS, who are currently fulfilling their duty.

However, exceptions exist for athletes who achieve extraordinary international success. The most well-known case is that of footballer Son Heung-min, the former Tottenham star, who avoided full military service after helping South Korea win the gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games.

It was precisely here that the tennis player fell short, not only failing to win a medal but also proving a disappointment by being eliminated in the first round. Consequently, he faced five weeks of training and recruitment before being obligated to serve 18 months of military duty.