SEOUL– At first, Kwon Soon-woo wasn’t even supposed to compete at the Olympic men’s tennis tournament.
But the stars aligned just right for the 23-year-old, as Kwon became the first South Korean tennis player to get into the Olympics in 13 years.
The top 56 players in the world rankings as of June 14 were eligible for the Olympics, with no more than four players per country. They also had to meet certain requirements to play for the Davis Cup, a men’s international tournament.
Kwon was in 79th place when the Olympics rankings were finalized, and was the sixth alternate. One by one, however, players above Kwon pulled out for injuries and other reasons. There were others who didn’t qualify because their countries already had the maximum four players or because they didn’t meet the Davis Cup requirements.
Kwon found out on June 23 that he was going to Tokyo after all.
“Over the course of my career, I’ve always wondered if I’d ever have a chance to play at the Olympics,” Kwon said in an online interview on Wednesday, taking a break from his practice in Sangju, 270 kilometers southeast of Seoul. “It’s an honor to become the first Korean tennis player in 13 years to be at the Olympics. It’s all thanks to my parents and their support. I am so grateful.”
Kwon is now at a career-best 69th in the latest world rankings. The rise comes on the heels of a third-round appearance at the French Open and a trip to the second round at Wimbledon last month. Winning some Grand Slam singles matches has been a much-needed confidence boost for Kwon.
“Now that I’ve faced top guys and players in the 20s and 30s in the rankings, I’ve realized there’s not that much difference (between myself and other players),” said Kwon, whose next goal is to break into the top 50.
Maybe Kwon was just lucky to punch his ticket to the Olympics, but he wants to make the most of that opportunity. He thinks he may as well go for a medal while he’s at it.
“I am not a medal contender. I think just participating in the event still means a lot to me,” Kwon said. “Still, it’d be great to win a medal. I think I can make a run for it.”
Over the first half of the season, Kwon said he has become better able to maintain his composure and stay patient even after making mistakes.
“When I go up against a top player, my mindset is I am there to learn from the experience. That helps lift pressure off my shoulders,” Kwon said. “As the season went on, my game also expanded.”
Kwon has said in the past he’s most confident on the hard court. With the Olympic tournament set to be contested on the hard surface at Ariake Tennis Park, Kwon said, “I want to prove that Korea can be close to medal contention in tennis, too. I’ll try to put on an entertaining show.”
Source: Yonhap News Agency