South Korean tennis star Kwon Soon-woo will begin his mandatory 18 months of military service in January, he has announced on Instagram.
Military service has been compulsory for South Korean men aged between 18 and 35 since 1957, with only a few exceptions made. Tottenham footballer Son Heung-min was excused from just under two years of service due to him helping the nation to victory at the Asian Games in 2018.
Kwon – the only South Korean man ever to win multiple ATP titles – could have been granted an exemption if he had won gold at the Asian Games last year. He was one of the favourites to do so, but he suffered a surprise early defeat in singles and only managed a bronze in doubles.
The 27-year-old went viral after his Asian Games defeat to Kasidit Samrej for smashing his racket to pieces in a fit of rage. But he painted an altogether more positive picture with his statement on Instagram this week.
“I will enlist in the army on January 13, 2025,” he wrote. “My life as a tourist will stop for almost two years, but I will come back in a more complete form than you can imagine.
“I know many people say that it is too late to start playing again after 30… I think 30 is the prime of life and I am confident.
“I have only achieved 20 per cent of the goals I set for myself, and the other 80 per cent will be the Korean tennis you dream of. I will make Korean tennis what all tennis fans want it to be, and I will do it until I achieve it.”
Kwon will be 28 when he returns to the tour and attempts to fight his way back up the rankings, having previously reached a high of 52nd in the world. The Sangju-born competitor boasts a third-round appearance at the French Open, and he has reached the second round of every other Grand Slam since turning professional in 2015.
In August, following his first-round exit at the US Open, Kwon gave fans a heads up that his military service was on the horizon. “I’ve been on tour for nine years until this year,” he wrote. “I think a lot has been going on. It was really an unforgettable time.
“The first half of my life on tour has ended after nine years, but I will do all the things I couldn’t achieve in the second half of my life on tour until I achieve them. I’ll find you as a perfect Kwon Soon-woo in the second half. Thank you very much to those who have supported me so far.”