[NH Nonghyup·Akyung Rookie Tennis] The Fantastic Rookie Who Dominated the Court

'Afternoon After Rain'... Heat Breaks, Refreshing Weather
Event Booths Set Up to Ease Waiting Boredom
Fun with Abundant Prizes Like Dyson Dryer

"I came up from Sejong City to participate in the 2024 NH Nonghyup Bank·Asia Economy All One Rookie Tennis Festival (Yujin, 39 years old)."

"I take tennis lessons three times a week, starting at 6 a.m., and then go to work at the hospital by 7:30 a.m. (Yoon Sehee, 33 years old)."

The tennis enthusiasts met at the NH Nonghyup University tennis courts in Goyang City, Gyeonggi Province, where the 2024 NH Nonghyup Bank·Asia Economy All One Rookie Tennis Festival was held on the 8th and 9th, were all united by their passion for tennis. Yujin, who came up from Sejong City, said she would complete the entire tournament schedule, including the prize drawing on the 9th, and then return to Sejong City late at night to prepare for work the next day. Yoon Sehee, an anesthesiology and pain medicine doctor at a university hospital, never misses her tennis lessons despite her busy schedule. She said that although tennis is an intense sport that sometimes strains her joints, the intensity helps relieve stress.

On the 9th, the second day of the 2024 NH Nonghyup Bank·Asia Economy All-Won Rookie Tennis Festival took place at the Nonghyup University Tennis Courts in Goyang-si, where participating players competed fiercely in the semifinals. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

The 2024 NH Nonghyup Bank·Asia Economy All One Rookie Tennis Festival featured 192 players forming 96 teams competing over two days in fair and square matches to determine the men's and women's doubles champions. The winning teams received trophies and special privileges to attend the Shanghai Masters tournament in China this October. The Shanghai Masters is the only ATP Tour 1000 series tournament held in Asia. It is the tier just below the four major ATP Tour Grand Slam events, attracting all the top-ranked ATP Tour players.

The 2024 NH Nonghyup Bank·Asia Economy All One Rookie Tennis Festival started on a "rain-free afternoon." The originally scheduled start time was 9 a.m. on the 8th. However, due to a forecast of rain, the tournament start was delayed by three hours to 12 p.m. on the 8th. As predicted, heavy rain fell throughout the morning. The rain, which could have seriously disrupted the tournament schedule, instead chased away the heat on the first day and added freshness to the atmosphere. The air became fresh. The matches began at 1 p.m., slightly later than expected, in a refreshing and fresh environment fitting for a rookie tournament.

Due to the rain delay, the last match on the first day ended at 9:30 p.m. Nevertheless, the tennis enthusiasts agreed that despite the rain, the tournament proceeded smoothly, reflecting the extensive preparations made. Park Naram (35), a physical education teacher at Jungdong High School, said, "The operating staff made the matches run smoothly. Even though the rain caused significant delays, the staff's experience ensured the tournament progressed seamlessly."

The second day of the 2024 NH Nonghyup Bank·Asia Economy All-Won Rookie Tennis Festival was held on the 9th at the Nonghyup University Tennis Courts in Goyang City. Park Byung-kyu, Senior Vice President of NH Nonghyup Bank, is taking a commemorative photo with the women's division winners. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

The abundant prize events also received enthusiastic responses from the participants. Once a day, two lucky draws were held, awarding prizes such as Dyson hair dryers, Galaxy Watch 6, coffee machines, tennis rackets, tennis racket bags, Starbucks gift cards, and Nonghyup gift certificates to the participants. Kim Areum (37), who won the first prize Dyson hair dryer in the first day's draw, said with a big smile, "It's my first time winning a lucky draw, and I feel so happy." According to the Dyson website, the Supersonic HD15 model given as a prize is priced at 549,000 KRW, more than eight times the tournament entry fee of 64,000 KRW. Areum, who has played tennis for 4 years and 6 months, has participated in more than ten tennis club tournaments, including four this year. She said, "I've participated in many tennis tournaments before, but this is the first time I've seen one that gives out prizes."

The various event booths also attracted attention. Asia Economy set up a game booth where participants could win Bark slippers and Nutropic Lab drinks by hitting targets with air guns, helping to alleviate boredom while waiting for matches. NH Nonghyup Bank provided a snack and drink booth, giving out character cotton candy and hosting a tasting event for the energy drink 'Extra Jaws.' A booth displaying and selling Yonex tennis equipment was also set up.

Baek Sungjin (38), who teamed up with Park Naram to finish joint third in men's doubles, said, "This is the first tennis club tournament with so many events. It was great to have so many things to enjoy while waiting."

On the 8th, the All One Rookie Tennis Festival, hosted by NH Nonghyup Bank and Asia Economy in 2024, opened at the Nonghyup University Tennis Court in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do. Before the matches, participating players shouted "Fighting." With 96 men's and women's teams participating, the tournament continues until the 9th. Young adults in their 20s and 30s who love tennis compete in skills and share friendships, and the winning team will receive tickets to watch the ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters as a prize. Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@

Rookie tournaments usually feature tennis enthusiasts with less than three years of experience. However, the 2024 NH Nonghyup Bank·Asia Economy All One Rookie Tennis Festival expanded the eligibility to pure tennis enthusiasts who started playing since 2020. The age limit was set between 20 years old (born in 2004) and 39 years old (born in 1985).

Areum said, "In other tournaments, some players over 40 sometimes exaggerate their experience, but the age limit here makes it unlikely for anyone to misrepresent their playing history, which is a good thing."

Park Haeun (38), who previously worked in broadcasting and now works as an influencer posting many tennis-related feeds on Instagram, expressed satisfaction that more experienced players participated compared to typical rookie tournaments. She emphasized the importance of experience, saying that playing against more experienced players allows for greater learning. "When I participated in slightly bigger tournaments, I definitely learned more. Even though I lost to more experienced players, they played a bit easier on me, and I felt I learned a lot." Park Haeun said she has been playing tennis for about 1 year and 6 months and participated in the tournament with a mindset to learn.