South Korean trailblazer Hyeon Chung has vowed to give all he has when he returns to the court to play his first Tour match in two years at the Korean Open later this week.
The 26-year-old was tipped to be the next Asian tennis sensation after achieving a series of milestones at a young age, including winning the 2017 Next Gen Finals and reaching the semi-finals of the 2018 Australian Open. Becoming the first and only player from his country to do so. At his best, he has been ranked as high as 19th in the world before injury resulted in him falling down the standings and eventually being forced to take time away from the sport.
A troublesome back issue has sidelined Chung from action with the rehabilitation process not going entirely to plan. He hasn’t played since losing in the second round of qualifying to Renzo Olivio at the 2020 French Open.
Chung’s hiatus from tennis is set to end on Wednesday when he plays in the first round of the men’s doubles tournament at Olympic Park Tennis Center in Seoul. He has joined forces with compatriot Kwon Soon-woo who recently scored his first-ever win over a top 20 player by defeating Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Davis Cup.
“It has been a long time coming,” Yonhap News Agency quoted Chung as saying at a pre-tournament press conference Monday. “I am just happy to be back. I don’t know how well I am going to play, but I’ll give it my best shot.”
The reason why Chung has chosen to start his comeback on home territory is that he feels more ‘mentally and physically relaxed.’ Although for the moment his return to playing singles tournaments isn’t on the cards.
“This is a part of the path back to my better days. I didn’t want to push myself too hard this week,” he explained.
“I am usually a calm person. I felt rehab comes with the territory of being a professional athlete. “I was just hoping I could come out of the rehab a stronger person.” He added.
It remains to be seen how the former top 20 star will fare when he takes to the court. However, he says his past difficulties have helped him appreciate the sport more.
“I used to take tennis for granted, but now, I am grateful for a chance to just set my foot on the court,” said Chung. “I’ve been training hard for the past two months or so. I’ve been having so much fun that I even wanted to eat and sleep right on the court.”
In the first round, Chung and Kwon will play Hans Hach and Treat Huey.
