Jeong-hyeon (27), the ‘misfortunate tennis star’ who is struggling with a chronic back injury. Will he be able to make a comeback?
When Novak Djokovic (36, Serbia) achieved the feat of winning the men’s singles 10 times at the 2023 Australian Open (AO) held last month, the domestic media and fans thought of Chung Hyeon again. It is because he defeated Djokovic in the round of 16 of the 2018 Australian Open men’s singles five years ago with a set score of 3-0 and achieved a ‘four-final myth’.
Djokovic has never lost the Australian Open since losing to Hyeon Chung at the time, and has since achieved three consecutive victories from 2019 to 2021. So, Chung Hyeon’s victory at that time is still evaluated as valuable.
It was when Jung Hyeon caught Novak Djokovic in the 2018 Australian Open men’s singles round of 16.
Jung Hyun used the 2022 ATP Tour Korea Open, which was held at the Seoul Olympic Park Court in September last year, as a stage for his revival. After receiving a wild card, he teamed up with Kwon Soon-woo, a year his junior, to compete in the men’s doubles and gain momentum by advancing to the semifinals. It was his return to the court after two years of not being on the court since the French Open in September 2020 due to a back injury.
However, the injury recurred after the Korea Open, so he abandoned the singles participation in the Seoul and Busan Challenger tournaments, which he had originally aimed for, and disappeared from the court again. No one was paying attention to him.
On the 1st, Jung Hyun drew attention by attending the ‘2023 Yonex Trade Show’ held at the Garden Hotel in Mapo-gu, Seoul. All sponsors have been cut off due to an injury that prevented him from participating in the ATP tour, but he is still receiving support from Yonex for equipment such as rackets.
Jung-hyeon, who appeared at the event this morning, was extremely reticent. When asked how he was doing, he said, “I have been training at Olympic Park, Jamsil, and Korea National Sport University.” His father, Jeong Seok-jin, former vice president of the Korea Secondary Tennis Federation, hinted, “Hyun-i hit the ball while undergoing rehabilitation treatment near Munich, Germany, for about a month at the end of last year.”
In an interview conducted by a Yonex official that day, Jung Hyun said about his New Year’s goal, “I will prepare well and come back in good shape. I want to repay many fans with good performance,” he said briefly. Regarding the Yonex racket he is using, he said, “It is soft and hard at the same time, so I can hit the ball heavily. He gets along well with me.”
Hyun Jung is known as a ‘perfectionist’. He said he would hardly stand on the court if the injury wasn’t completely healed. When will we see him on the competition court again? It’s a pity for fans who know the potential and ability of Djokovic to take on Roger Federer in the semifinals. 스포츠토토