Former Asian number one tennis player Lee Jae-ah seeks love

Former tennis star Lee Jae-ah, who reached number one in the Asian rankings before retiring due to injuries, appeared on tvN STORY's "When Our Kids Fall in Love 3" on the 11th to begin a new challenge in finding love.

Lee Jae-ah, the daughter of former footballer Lee Dong-gook, has revealed her decorated athletic career as a tennis player who reached number one in the Asian rankings, her retirement due to injuries, and her subsequent transition to golf. Having dedicated her entire life to sports since childhood, she is now embarking on a new challenge to find love rather than athletic glory. Her candid confession about moving from living as athlete Lee Jae-ah to living as woman Lee Jae-ah left her father, Lee Dong-gook, visibly surprised.

In the first broadcast of tvN STORY's "When Our Kids Fall in Love 3" on the 11th, the participants' initial meeting was revealed. When Lee Jae-ah appeared, the studio was filled with admiration for her significant growth. Kim Sung-joo remarked, "Jae-ah is pretty," while Lee Dong-gook introduced his daughter's unique growth process by explaining her past career as an athlete.

According to Lee Dong-gook, Lee Jae-ah was active as a tennis player from age 7 to 17. Reflecting on her athletic days, Lee Jae-ah stated, "I won the national junior championships and was the youngest to reach the main draw in doubles." She cited reaching number one in the Asian rankings as her most memorable achievement. Having reached the top of Asia at a young age, she had already proven her significant competitiveness as a tennis player.

However, behind those brilliant results lay a pain that was difficult to share easily. "I am a former tennis player and now a golfer. It wasn't that I wanted to retire; I had to retire because of continuous injuries and a life of surgeries," Lee Jae-ah confessed. While striving for higher heights as an athlete, repeated injuries and surgeries eventually forced her to say goodbye to tennis. The story of having to close a chapter of her athletic life against her own will added a sense of poignancy.

Even after leaving tennis, her love for sports did not disappear. "Since I was someone who loved the life of an athlete so much, I think I naturally transitioned to golf," she explained. She stated that she has been playing golf for about two to three years and that during the season, she devotes herself to practice from the moment she wakes up until she falls asleep. Her passion for exercise remains intense, with her daily routine including going to the gym before bed.

On the other hand, compared to the time she spent focusing on sports, her ordinary daily life and dating experiences have been relatively lacking. Lee Jae-ah revealed that on her days off, she enjoys spending time at home watching dramas. She confessed that while watching romantic scenes, she feels vicarious satisfaction but also thinks, "I really want to date and I want to feel that kind of excitement too." Regarding her dating experience, she honestly admitted, "There isn't much."

"Because I have only done sports since I was very young, there weren't many opportunities to date, and I haven't had much contact with men, so I actually don't know if I will be good at dating," she said. She further explained the meaning of her participation in the program, saying, "My life has always been the life of athlete Lee Jae-ah, but here, I am living as woman Lee Jae-ah." She wishes to move away from a life running toward athletic goals and discover a new version of herself through love and excitement.

Lee Jae-ah expressed her strong determination, saying, "I hope this time can be a time to find love instead of sports. I am looking forward to it so much." Observing this, Kim Sung-joo marveled, "Jae-ah came with determination. It doesn't look like she's going to do this half-heartedly," and Lee Dong-gook agreed, adding, "That's right. She has her teeth clenched right now." Attention is focused on what results Lee Jae-ah, who has experienced being number one in Asian tennis, retirement due to injury, and a transition to golf, will create in this new challenge of dating.

Read the original (Korean)