An unexpected injury can be devastating for an athlete. It’s the anxiety of not knowing when you’ll be back. This is especially true when they are about to compete in important events like the Asian Games and the Olympics. But Kwon Soon-woo, the “poster boy of Korean men’s tennis,” was different. The first South Korean player to win two men’s ATP Tour titles, Kwon was sidelined for 11 weeks from April to July with a shoulder injury, but he returned to the court determined to win gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
In a recent interview with The Korea Times, Kwon said, “It’s true that I was worried about my shoulder injury before the most important competition of my life. But I was confident that I could pick up my racket again and play my best game on the court.” “I’m competing in the Hangzhou Asian Games for one reason. There is only one reason to go to the Hangzhou Asian Games and that is to win a gold medal.”
The reason for his desire to compete at the Asian Games is that he tasted heartbreak at the Jakarta-Palembang Games five years ago. He competed in the men’s singles and doubles events and was eliminated in the quarterfinals and round of 16. “I still have a lot of regrets when I think about the Asian Games five years ago, and I didn’t play as satisfactorily as I should have,” he said. “This time around, I’m going to show a completely different side of myself. I’ve prepared more thoroughly than ever before, and I’m confident of reaching the top.”
“The pain in my right shoulder, which has been bothering me since the beginning of the year, is almost gone. I feel like I’m more than 80 percent fit,” he said. “Since returning from injury, I’ve been playing the US Open and Davis Cup, and I’ve improved my game, so I’m looking forward to showing my best performance at the Asian Games.”
The two contenders for the top spot on the podium will be China’s Zhang Zhiqian and Wu Yibing. Their ATP Tour singles world rankings of 60 and 98, respectively, are higher than Kwon’s 112, but they will be playing on some of the best surfaces in Asia. 온라인카지노
Soon-woo Kwon, who has a good stroke, isn’t too worried.
“I improved my serve, which was my weakness, and my groundstrokes,” she said, “I worked so hard that I was told I was crazy about tennis. I’m looking forward to the Asian Games because tennis is a game that comes out of hard work.”
He realized the importance of diet when he reached the top of the ATP Tour’s Adelaide International in January, and this time, he followed it closely. “In order to perform at my best, I eat a set diet every day. Especially during competitions, I usually eat white rice and fish,” he says. “If I can get to the top of every competition, I might eat only those two foods for my entire career. The day after the competition is the day I get to eat the food I’ve been craving, and in Hangzhou, I’ll do my best to delay my cheat day as long as possible.”
Kwon eats white rice and fish to keep her digestion in check and to give her the energy to explode on the court.
Kwon’s confidence in reaching the top at the Asian Games is not unfounded: “Compared to Jakarta-Palembang, I’ve improved in every aspect. The second edition of the Adelaide International, where I won as a runner-up, gave me a lot of confidence in my tennis,” he said. “There’s a lot of power in the flag, and in Hangzhou, I will showcase the power of Korean tennis to the rest of Asia.”
At 25 years of age, Kwon Soon-woo hopes to continue to improve his game to reach the top 100 in the ATP Tour singles rankings and earn a spot at the Paris 2024 Olympics and other major tournaments. “My ATP Tour singles ranking has slipped out of the top 100, and I want to bring it back into the top 100 this year,” he said. “I want to achieve a double-digit ranking somehow, as there are different tournaments and treatments for players based on their ranking,” he added.
“It would be great to compete in the Asian Games and the Olympics as a Korean,” said Kwon, “and I will not stop working until I can compete in the four majors – Wimbledon, the Australian Open, the US Open and the French Open.”