Kwon could have secured his own exemption with a gold medal at last year’s Asian Games. But having just returned from a serious shoulder injury, the Korean was instead ousted in the second round by Thailand’s Samrej Kasidit and his racquet-smashing meltdown made global headlines.
The Sangju native, who celebrated his 27th birthday at the start of the month, has previously stated that he plans to join the South Korean army’s tennis team to keep up his training. Kwon intends to return to the ATP Tour and play for “10 years or more” after finishing his service.
“Many people say that it’s too late to start over at 30 and that it’s hard to start over on tour… For me, 30 is my prime and I’m confident,” Kwon wrote on Instagram.
“I’ve only achieved 20 percent of my goals,” he added. “I will definitely achieve what all tennis fans want for Korean tennis. I will do my best until I achieve it, so please look forward to it.”
The only South Korean player to win multiple ATP titles, Kwon peaked at No. 52 in 2021 and is currently ranked No. 349.
