A Korean professional tennis player repeatedly smashed his racket against the ground after losing a Sept. 25 match to a lower-ranking player during the 19th Asian Games at China’s Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center, according to video and local reports.
South Korean player Kwon Soon-woo was widely seen as an up-and-coming gold medal contender in the Asian Games, but the Sept. 25 loss considerably narrows that prospect, the Yonhap News Agency reported. Kwon was once ranked as the 52nd-best player in the world but has suffered six straight defeats since injuring his shoulder earlier in 2023, according to the outlet. (RELATED: Novak Djokovic Mocks Competitor After Topping Him In Tiebreaker)
Kwon was defeated at the hands of Thailand’s 22-year-old Kasidit Samrej, who is ranked 636 globally, the Longview News-Journal reported. After the loss, Kwon slammed his tennis racket eight times against the ground while walking to the bench and refused to shake hands with Kasidit, according to footage shared by the News-Journal. The act elicited audible boos from the crowd.
Kwon later apologized to Kasidit for his behavior, the Korea Tennis Association (KTA) told The Korea Times. “Kwon visited Thailand’s training camp and offered an apology to him and sent words of encouragement,” a KTA spokesperson said. “I heard the Thai player has accepted the apology.”
The Korean Sports and Olympic Committee also issued an apology to Kasidit over matter, Korea JoongAng Daily reported.