South Korea’s Kwon steps away from tennis for compulsory military service

“I will be enlisting on January 13, 2025. My tour life will pause for nearly two years”

Soonwoo Kwon, Tokyo 2022 | © AF / Panoramic

December 16, 2024

South Korean Kwon Soonwoo, the former world No 52, is stepping away from tennis to complete the compulsory military service in his country. He is set to begin his conscription in January 2025 and will be sidelined for more than 18 months.

“Hello everyone. I will be enlisting on January 13, 2025,” Kwon announced on social media (translated). “My tour life will pause for nearly two years, but I will return in the second quarter with an even more perfect version of myself, just as you have been waiting for.”

Kwon turned pro in 2015 and is placed 350th in the latest ATP singles rankings. He has two titles from his exploits at the Almaty Open in 2021 and Adelaide International 2 in 2023.

The 27-year-old has his goals set for the second phase of his professional career:

“Many people say that starting again at 30 is too late and that it’s hard to resume the tour, but… I believe that my prime starts at 30, and I am confident. I have only achieved 20% of the goals I set for myself; the remaining 80% is the kind of tennis in Korea that you have all dreamed of. I will definitely make the vision of Korean tennis that all tennis fans desire come true, so please look forward to it. I will take a brief farewell now. I hope everyone stays healthy and happy.”