"Kwon Soon-woo is back": Wimbledon also takes note of the victory "salute"... Return to Grand Slam main draw after two years

*This content was translated by AI.

South Korea's tennis "ace" Kwon Soon-woo (Korea Army Colonel's Corps, ranked 202nd) is set to return to the Grand Slam main draw stage.

On the 26th (Korean time), Kwon defeated Alejandro Moro Canas (Spain, ranked 233rd) in the final round of men's singles qualifying at the 2026 Wimbledon Championships held at the All England Club in London, England, with a set score of 3-0 (6-4 7-6(8-6) 6-3), securing his spot in the main draw.

On this day, Kwon minimized errors with only three double faults and 25 unforced errors, denying his opponent any opportunities. He seized control of the match early by converting crucial break points at key moments.

With this result, Kwon returns to the Grand Slam main draw for the first time since 2024, two years later. He also revived the streak of South Korean players appearing in Grand Slam main draws, which had been broken since 2024.

Kwon's main draw schedule will be determined through the men's singles main draw draw ceremony held this afternoon at 6 p.m. His first-round opponent will also be decided.

Kwon's participation in this year's Wimbledon is particularly special. Having overcome the difficult circumstances of injury and military service, he has returned to the major stage. He faced challenges in 2023 due to lingering effects from a shoulder injury. In 2024, he participated in all four Grand Slam main draws using his protected ranking, but except for reaching the Round of 64 at the French Open, he was eliminated in the first round of all other tournaments.

Subsequently, Kwon chose to enlist in the military in January 2025. While continuing his career as a member of the Army Sports Team, his world ranking dropped as low as 677th last June.

However, with active support from the Korea Army Colonel's Corps and sponsorship from the Korea Tennis Association, which manages national team athletes, he gradually prepared for a comeback by competing in lower-tier international tournaments.

In the first half of this year, he created a turning point. Kwon won three ATP Challenger titles. He claimed victory at the CH50 Phan Thiet (Vietnam), CH75 Gwangju (South Korea), and CH100 Wuxi (China) tournaments, boosting his ranking and dramatically securing a spot in the Wimbledon qualifying draw.

Kwon's upward momentum continued in the Wimbledon qualifying. He defeated Spain's Nicolas Sanchez Izquierdo (ranked 216th) 2-0 (7-6(9-7) 6-3) in the first qualifying round, then overcame France's Arthur Heyman (ranked 132nd) 2-1 (5-7 6-3 6-4) in the second round. He then completed his three-match winning streak by defeating Moro Canas in the final qualifying round, earning his ticket to the main draw.

Wimbledon also took note of Kwon's return. The tournament organizers repeatedly posted clips of Kwon's match point moments from the qualifying rounds on their official social media accounts. They also highlighted his military-style salute after securing the victory. After his main draw qualification was confirmed, they announced his return with the phrase "Kwon Soon-woo is BACK!" which received a strong response from Korean fans.

Meanwhile, Kwon is scheduled to be discharged from the military on July 12.

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*This content was translated by AI.