"A soldier competing at Wimbledon? Even as a movie, it would be a blockbuster!" Foreign media spotlight Kwon Soon-woo

*This content was translated by AI.

Overseas tennis specialty outlets are now focusing intensely on Kwon Soon-woo (29, Army), who is fulfilling his military duty while fiercely dominating the courts, describing his journey as "a sports movie-like story."

U.S. outlets such as Essential Sports and ESPN's Spanish edition reported on the 19th (Korean time) that "Kwon Soon-woo, once ranked as high as 52nd in the world, is currently experiencing the most unique and awe-inspiring period of his life, balancing military service with tour participation." They extensively covered his performances. Foreign media praised the drama he creates on the court as a soldier, calling it "a story so compelling it would be a hit even if made into a film," and gave him a thumbs-up.

The miraculous story of Kwon Soon-woo that media outlets are focusing on is nothing short of a "drama without a script." Kwon seemed to pause his professional tennis career when he enlisted in the Army (Active Duty) in January 2025. Thanks to the full support and special permission from Ha Ji-man (SVP), he is now managing a schedule that allows him to balance military training with select tour events.

He did not merely participate for the sake of participation. Even during his service, Kwon demonstrated fierce concentration, consecutively winning the Phan Thiet Challenger in Vietnam, the Gwangju Challenger, and most recently the Wuxi Challenger in China, securing the Challenger Triple Crown for this season already.

Foreign media could not help but marvel at Kwon Soon-woo, who is preparing for global stages even while training between parade grounds and courts. In particular, they highlighted that his victory at the Wuxi Challenger propelled his world ranking up by more than 170 spots in just one month, re-entering the top 200 and securing his own spot in the 2026 Wimbledon Open qualifiers. Kwon's exact world ranking is currently 189th.

Essential Sports stated, "If Kwon Soon-woo, currently a soldier, competes at Wimbledon this year, he will be the only Korean player," and added, "Given the level of play he has shown, there is a strong possibility he could pass the qualifiers and make it into the main draw." They positively projected his chances. Furthermore, they anticipated that his entry into the US Open qualifiers in the second half of the year would be smooth as well.

According to Essential Sports' report, shortly after winning the Phan Thiet Challenger in Vietnam last January, Kwon Soon-woo expressed, "It is by no means easy to compete in overseas tournaments while serving in the military. I sincerely thank the Army for their generous support and consideration that allowed me to compete again."

Only three male players have ever stepped onto the Wimbledon main draw in the history of Korean tennis, including Kwon Soon-woo. 'Legend' Lee Hyung-taik (50) reached the third round (Round of 32) at Wimbledon in 2007, setting the best result for a Korean player, and in 2018, Chung Hyeon (30) became the first Korean to receive a Wimbledon seed (No. 26).

Kwon Soon-woo also has rich experience on the Wimbledon main draw, having advanced to the second round in 2021, facing Novak Djokovic in the first round in 2022, and facing Holger Rune in the first round in 2024. As he approaches his discharge in July, will he, in the status of a "private in his final year," break through the qualifiers at this year's Wimbledon and step onto the main draw for the fourth time in his career, writing another drama? The eyes of tennis fans worldwide are already fixed on the tip of 'soldier' Kwon Soon-woo's racket.

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*This content was translated by AI.