South Korea's latest sporting sensation -- tennis star Chung Hyeon -- is back in Korea after his amazing performance at the Australian Open... a run that saw him make the last four.
The 21-year-old was greeted by hundreds of cheering fans at Incheon International Airport.
And Chung has even more reason to celebrate as he has jumped almost 30 spots in the world rankings with his top four finish.
Lee Seung-jae has more on his triumphant return.
Rewriting South Korea's tennis history,... Chung Hyeon returned home to a hero's welcome on Sunday,... after a historic run to the semifinals of the 2018 Australian Open.
Chung, who's currently 58th in the ATP rankings,... defeated some elite players, including 4th ranked Alexander Zverev and six-time Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic,... before a painful blister of his foot left him with no choice but to retire against the eventual champion Roger Federer in the semifinals.
But for the 21-year-old,... the pain is past him, and he said he will cherish every moment of his time in Melbourne.
"My first Grand Slam semifinals, beating Novak Djokovic after two years. I enjoyed every minute of it."
With his semi-final finish, Chung is certain to crack the top 30 of the ATP rankings,.. and will become the highest ranked South Korean player in history.
Even the legendary Roger Federer believes Chung will one day become a top-10 player,... as Korea's newest sports sensation hopes to turn his famous opponent's words into reality.
"I want to aim high and prove to the players who have rated me so highly that they were right."
Back at home, Chung will focus on receiving treatment on his injured foot,... and will later decided whether he should compete at an ATP Tour event in Bulgaria next month.
For him, the historic semifinal finish is just the beginning, as he hopes to win his second career title in the near future.
Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.
