The incredible story of South Korea in the Davis Cup

South Korea has become the first Asian country to reach a Davis Cup Final8. Yes, you heard that right. For the first time since the format changed, there will be a nation outside the major power centers in tennis, such as Europe, America, and Oceania, in the final phase for the title. What’s most curious is how this country of 51.6 million inhabitants has achieved this milestone.

One player is still serving in the military and another dazzled the world and has been wandering aimlessly for years while recovering from serious injuries. These have been the main architects of South Korea's success in the Davis Cup: SoonWoo Kwon and the legendary Hyeon Chung. 

Both outside the top-100, lacking continuity on the circuit and unable to compete in the major tournaments on the calendar for very different reasons, both have been elevating their level spectacularly when representing their country in this century-old competition. At 28 and 30 years old, respectively, they have fulfilled a dream with this success and will want to defy logic in Bologna.

SCENES IN SEOUL 🇰🇷😲

Hyeon Chung wins a three-hour thriller against Nagal 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 to give Korea, Rep a 2-0 advantage 👏 pic.twitter.com/ldxqlEkDBm

— Davis Cup (@DavisCup) September 18, 2026

Their rivals would do well not to underestimate them since both have a level of tennis that is much higher than what their rankings suggest. SoonWoo Kwon has reached as high as 52 in the world, and once he can regain continuity in his career after completing his military service, it wouldn't be surprising to see him on the big stages.

The situation is more complicated and painful for Hyeon Chung, who cannot compete consistently free from injuries or find the tennis that took him to be top-20, a Grand Slam semifinalist, and a conqueror of Djokovic. However, in a week of inspiration and while defending his country, he is a very dangerous player, making it interesting to see him compete in Bologna against some of the best in the world.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La increíble historia de Corea del Sur en la Copa Davis