A South Korean tennis player had an epic meltdown Monday after suffering an embarrassing second-round loss at the 2023 Asian Games in China, according to the Longview News-Journal.
Soonwoo Kwon, ranked No. 112 by the ATP, lost to Thailand’s Samrej Kasidit, who is ranked No. 636, at Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre in Hangzhou, China.
After Kwon lost the match, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, he took his frustration out on his racket, slamming it to the ground eight times while walking over to his bench.
Once he got there, Kwon swung the racket twice at his seat.
As Kasidit walked over to shake hands, Kwon got in one final slam of the racket before tossing it down.
But the bad sportsmanship doesn’t stop there.
When Kasidit approached Kwon to shake his hand, the latter “ignored him,” according to the South China Morning Post.
The crowd could also be heard booing.
His frustrations have been building for a while, according to Yonhap News Agency.
Recently returning from a shoulder injury that sidelined him for six months, Kwon came into the tournament having lost the last six international matches, including this past month’s U.S. Open, where he fell to American Christopher Eubanks in the first round, 6-3, 6-4, 0-6, 6-4.
Kwon, who owns a pair of wins on the ATP Tour, was ranked as high as No. 52 in 2021.
He can still take home a gold medal at the 2023 Asian Games as he remains in contention with doubles partner Seongchan Hong.
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