Chung Hyeon falls out of top 100 world ranking

Korea’s tennis star Chung Hyeon has dropped out of the top 100 in world rankings for the first time in two years after his struggle with injuries.

Chung, a surprise semifinalist at the 2018 Australian Open, plunged 29 spots to take 121st in the latest men’s singles world rankings released by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) on Monday. This was the first time that he failed to stay inside the top 100 since April 2017, when he was ranked No. 102.

Chung’s career best was No. 19 in April 2018, which was also the highest ranking position by a Korean ever.

The 22-year-old has been out of action since the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in February. He then skipped tournaments like the BNP Paribas Open and the Miami Open due to pain in his lower back and other injuries.

Chung is hoping to compete at the Barcelona Open that starts April 22, but will ultimately make a decision after checking his physical condition.

Yonhap