The Gamble That Paid Off: Kwon Soonwoo's Remarkable Road Back to Wimbledon

Kwon Soonwoo competing at the Busan Challenger event in 2024.

Three years ago, Kwon Soonwoo appeared to be entering the prime of his career. In January 2023, the South Korean produced one of the finest weeks of his professional life at the Adelaide International 2. Entering the tournament as a lucky loser, Kwon pieced together a remarkable run to claim his second ATP Tour title and return to a career-high ranking of World No. 52.

At 25 years old, it felt less like a career peak and more like the beginning of something bigger. Instead, injuries, a failed bid for military exemption and the prospect of mandatory military service would send his career into an unexpected detour.

Now, while still serving in the Republic of Korea's military athletic corps, Kwon is preparing for Wimbledon qualifying after one of the most remarkable ranking revivals in men's tennis.

Three ATP Challenger titles this season have propelled him back into contention for one of the sport's biggest stages. Yet his current position is made all the more remarkable by the fact that, less than a year ago, he had fallen to No. 600 in the ATP rankings.

The Stakes Facing South Korea's Athletes

To understand Kwon's journey, it is important to understand the unique challenge facing South Korea's male athletes.

Under South Korean law, able-bodied men are required to complete mandatory military service, typically lasting at least 18 months. For professional athletes, that obligation often arrives during the prime years of their careers and can significantly disrupt their progress.

There are limited sporting exemptions. Athletes can earn relief from full military service by winning any medal at the Olympic Games or a gold medal at the Asian Games, achievements recognised as bringing distinction to the nation. For Kwon, the Asian Games in Hangzhou, held during the autumn of 2023, represented far more than another tournament. It was potentially the most important event of his career.

A gold medal would have allowed him to continue pursuing his tennis ambitions uninterrupted. Failure would almost certainly mean military enlistment.

Adelaide and a Career on the Rise

As the Asian Games approached, Kwon appeared to be building a career capable of reaching even greater heights.

The Korean number 1 had steadily established himself as one of Asia's leading players, winning his maiden ATP Tour title in Astana in 2021 and becoming only the second South Korean man to claim an ATP singles title after Lee Hyung-taik's triumph in Sydney in 2003.

Kwon's victory in Adelaide at the start of 2023 seemed to confirm his upward trajectory. Arriving as a lucky loser, he first defeated Tomas Machac – the very player who had beaten him in qualifying and initially denied him a place in the main draw.

Given a second chance following a withdrawal, Kwon made the most of it. He went on to defeat former world No. 10 Pablo Carreno Busta, rising British talent Jack Draper and former world No. 9 Roberto Bautista Agut to claim the title. Looking back, the run appears even more impressive, with Draper since rising to world No. 4 and Machac establishing himself among the ATP Tour's leading players.

The result lifted Kwon back to his career-high ranking of No. 52 and fuelled hopes that he could climb even higher. Indeed, the result suggested he belonged firmly at ATP Tour level and would achieve even more in the game. Yet while the ranking remained healthy, injuries were beginning to take their toll.

His form gradually declined throughout the season and physical issues increasingly limited his ability to compete at his best. Nevertheless, with the Asian Games approaching and military exemption on the line, sitting out was never really an option.

The Defining Failure

By the time the Asian Games arrived in September 2023, Kwon was still struggling physically. But the stakes were simply too significant to ignore.

Despite not being fully fit, he returned to competition in pursuit of the one achievement that could fundamentally alter the course of his career. Instead, everything unravelled.

In one of the biggest shocks of the tennis competition, Kwon suffered a first-round defeat to Thailand's Kasidit Samrej, ending his hopes of securing military exemption through the singles event.

The loss produced one of the most controversial moments of his career. Frustrated and emotional, Kwon repeatedly smashed his racket following the defeat and left the court without shaking hands with his opponent. He later apologised to Samrej, but the images had already spread widely and attracted significant criticism both in South Korea and internationally. For a player already struggling with injuries, form and the pressure of the Asian Games, it represented one of the lowest moments of his career.

The doubles competition offered one final opportunity. Partnering fellow South Korean Hong Seong-chan, Kwon attempted to win the gold medal that would grant both players exemption from military service. Again, they fell short. The pair ultimately secured only a bronze medal, leaving both players facing enlistment.

What had begun as an opportunity to preserve their careers had instead become a defining setback.

Two Players, Two Different Paths

The careers of Kwon and Hong would take very different directions from that point. Hong entered military service ranked No. 158 in the world. With a significantly higher ranking, he chose not to continue competing during his enlistment and instead positioned himself to benefit from a protected ranking upon his return.

Under ATP rules, players who are unable to compete for an extended period due to circumstances such as injury or military service can apply to use their previous ranking for entry into a limited number of tournaments once they return. While the ranking cannot be used for seeding or to earn points, it can provide a valuable route back into higher-level events.

For Hong, preserving that safety net made sense. But Kwon faced a different reality. Following a prolonged slump and six-month absence from competition after the Asian Games disappointment, he entered military service ranked No. 347 in the world. Rather than stepping away entirely, he chose a far riskier path.

Serving in the Republic of Korea's military athletic corps, he sought permission to continue competing on a limited schedule. The arrangement allowed him to play selected tournaments abroad in Asia and domestic events, while also representing Korea Republic in Davis Cup competition .

The decision came with a significant trade-off. By continuing to compete, Kwon effectively gave up the security of relying on a protected ranking when his military service ended. It was a gamble. If the results did not come, he risked emerging from military service without a ranking safety net and facing an even steeper climb back to the ATP Tour.

Rebuilding in Uniform

The scale of the challenge became even clearer during the first months of his military service. Having enlisted ranked No. 347 in the world, Kwon's ranking continued to slide as his opportunities to compete remained limited. By June 2025, roughly six months into his military service, he had fallen outside the world's top 600.

For a player who had stood at No. 52 little more than two years earlier, it was a staggering decline. Many players never recover from such a drop. Rebuilding from outside the top 600 typically means grinding through lower-level events, limited opportunities and a long road back up the rankings ladder.

Yet Kwon slowly began turning things around. There were encouraging signs, with respectable performances in ITF tournaments and valuable contributions in Davis Cup competition. The results were not headline-grabbing, but they suggested that the level which had once carried him into the world's top 60 had not disappeared. The breakthrough, however, has come this season.

The Comeback

Competing on a carefully managed schedule around his military commitments, Kwon has rediscovered the consistency that once made him one of Asia's most dangerous players. Three ATP Challenger titles have transformed both his ranking and his prospects.

The victories have propelled him back into the world's top 200 and earned him a place in Wimbledon qualifying, a milestone that would have seemed highly improbable just a year ago.

His preparations for Wimbledon included a stop at the ATP Challenger event in Nottingham, where he lost in the final round of qualifying before gaining entry to the main draw as a lucky loser. There, he was beaten by Finland's Otto Virtanen, who would go on to reach the final of the tournament.

Regardless of of those results, the bigger picture remains unchanged. The gamble has worked. While still serving in the military, Kwon has rebuilt a ranking that once looked beyond repair.

One More Opportunity

Kwon has traveled to Roehampton for Wimbledon qualifying, where three victories would secure a place in the main draw of tennis's most prestigious tournament, a feat he previously achieved in 2019 when he came through qualifying to make his Wimbledon debut.

His military service is due to conclude in mid-July, which means he could potentially complete one of the most extraordinary stretches of his career before officially returning to civilian life. Whether he ultimately reaches the Wimbledon main draw remains to be seen. But his presence in qualifying alone is evidence of how far he has come.

Kwon will begin his Wimbledon qualifying campaign on Monday against Spain's Nikolás Sánchez Izquierdo, who is set to make his professional grass-court debut. Seven years after first navigating the qualifying event at Roehampton, he now returns with another opportunity to earn his place at Wimbledon.