Serving (in the South Korean Army) and Returning (to Wimbledon)
Kwon Soon-woo is playing Wimbledon weeks before finishing his compulsory military service requirements.
WIMBLEDON, England — July 12th, 2026, would be an obvious red-letter date for many atop the ATP Tour who aim for the sport’s biggest prize as the day of the Wimbledon men’s singles final.
But for one of the 128 men in the Wimbledon men’s singles draw, the date has been circled for an entirely different reason. For Kwon Soon-woo, the 28-year-old South Korean who won two ATP titles and has been ranked as high as 52nd, that day is the finish line that marks his freedom from the 18 months of compulsory military service which has disrupted and distracted and derailed—but not destroyed—his career.
Kwon’s remarkable story led not only to a rewriting of the ATP Rulebook, but also led a South Korean general to change the policies of the military’s “Athlete Corps” for the first time, allowing him to compete at Wimbledon this year.
As Kwon and his coach Daniel Yoo made clear in interviews with Bounces this week, he’s very, very happy to be nearly done.
And Kwon’s peers on the ATP Tour are happy to see him back, too, even if they know his speed is a weapon of its own.
“That motherfucker is fast as shit.” —Frances Tiafoe on Kwon Soon-woo.
To read the full story of Kwon’s journey through the military and back to the tennis tour—and read previews of the best matches to watch at Day 1 of Wimbledon, please subscribe to Bounces! -Ben