NextGen's Khachanov Makes Barcelona Breakthrough

Karen Khachanov, part of the ATP’s Next Generation, saved one match point Monday at the Barcelona Open BancSabadell. On Tuesday, he once again held his nerve to defeat World No. 17 Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-3 in his first match against a Top 20 player.

“Honestly it’s feels great for me,” said the 19-year-old qualifier following the two hour, 25-minute battle. “It’s an unbelievable win – one of the highest players I’ve ever beat. To play on centre court here in Barcelona, almost in my second hometown after Moscow because I’m practising here, it’s amazing.”

Khachanov, who is coached by Spaniard Galo Blanco, previously achieved his best tour-level result in his other hometown of Moscow. In 2013, as a wild card, he defeated former champion Janko Tipsarevic to become the first 17 year old to reach an ATP World Tour quarter-final since Kei Nishikori in 2007 (Indianapolis). He went from unranked to No. 513 in the Emirates ATP Rankings following his first two tour-level events that autumn: St. Petersburg (2R – d. Hanescu, l. to Rosol) and Moscow (d. Ramos-Vinolas, Tipsarevic, l. to Karlovic). 

This week, he entered Barcelona at No. 138 – three back of his career-high Emirates ATP Ranking – and won two matches in qualifying, both in three sets, to earn his place alongside three other Next Generation players – Alexander Zverev, Hyeon Chung and Elias Ymer – in the main draw.

“All these guys, we are almost the same age. We have been playing from 14 years old in the same tournaments and now we’re coming on the ATP World Tour and it’s great because all of us we improve and hopefully in a few years we can compete against each other and play on the high levels,” he said.

But first, Khachanov has his sights set on the Top 100. “Always you try to have higher goals and then if you achieve, it’s good. If not, you’ll keep working,” he said. “[I need to] keep going like this, to improve my serve, to play more aggressive.”