ATP Tour

Khachanov: 'This is a little bit of a moment of appreciation'

After Karen Khachanov beat Benjamin Bonzi on Saturday to reach the fourth round of the US Open, he was conducting interviews with the media just outside Arthur Ashe Stadium when a familiar face approached him: former World No. 2 Alex Corretja.

Both men are former pupils of coach Jose Manuel “Pepo” Clavet. Corretja congratulated Khachanov and briefly spoke to the former World No. 8 in Spanish before switching to English to deliver a succinct, but memorable message.

Don’t think, just play.

“It's actually useful, because we are training every day. We are hitting the ball every day and of course you have to have a purpose. But at the same time, when you go out in a match, you have to be free. And you know how to play,” Khachanov told ATPTour.com. “You have your instincts, and this is an interesting conversation… Okay, you know the tactics, you speak with a coach, you have the plan. But then you need to go out there and just play and execute.”

Could that be the mindset that helps Khachanov make another deep run at a major? A two-time Grand Slam semi-finalist, the 30-year-old knows what it takes to battle deep into events on this stage.

But on the other hand, it is about more than a single result. This US Open is about turning around what had been a difficult year.

Entering the tournament, Khachanov was 16-18 for the season according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index and sitting at No. 50 in the PIF ATP Rankings, his lowest standing since June 2017. Even a few wins, including a second-round upset of third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, have been a big step in the right direction.

“It feels great, obviously. I will not lie to you. I mean, look, this is a little bit of a moment of appreciation,” Khachanov said. “I'm super happy to match by match be able to switch this momentum into more positive dynamics and that's it. I just hope to continue, keep going. This is my focus now.” 

According to the seven-time ATP Tour titlist, there has not been a specific moment when he has felt back in form. There has not been a switch he has managed to turn on.

“You just have to be in this flow, in the zone, like I call it,” Khachanov said. “So I think once I was there, I started to win points and sets and matches, basically.”

The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center holds happy memories for Khachanov, in both victory and defeat. In 2022, he reached the semi-finals. But perhaps the righty’s most memorable US Open match came in the 2018 third round, when he pushed Rafael Nadal for four hours and 23 minutes of ball-crushing play across four sets before bowing out.

“You live through these moments, you remember them. From the other side, it's a new story. You need to build, again, on your paper from zero,” Khachanov said. “But still, back in your memories, you know those good feelings. I think you have to put it on the plate in the right way, and then just to, again, go out there, knowing and having those feelings inside you. But at the same time, to build from the beginning again.”

The seven-time ATP Tour titlist can train as much as three to four hours on court in a day, with fitness training on top of that. The good and bad news is that he has been having too much time for practice in recent months given his 0-3 record since Wimbledon. He has not felt great because he was not winning matches, but the training has helped him build his base.

After Wimbledon, Khachanov had a 10-day block. Since Montreal did not go well, he had a lot of time for practice before Cincinnati. After falling in Ohio, he had a two-week training block.

“It didn't go well from the beginning in the American swing. What I can tell you, I was practising a lot. Hopefully, physically I could be fit. This is good, also mentally understanding [that],” Khachanov said. “Emotionally, I was a little bit down before coming to New York. But look, at the same time, this is the beauty of tennis. You have to be ready always, and whenever the opportunity comes, or you create those opportunities, and you take them, you can switch this moment.”

Now Khachanov is in the fourth round of a major for the first time this year, and his career-high PIF ATP Ranking of No. 8 is higher than everyone else in his half of the draw except for Alexander Zverev, whom he cannot face until the semi-finals. Khachanov, who plays Learner Tien on Monday, knows there is an opportunity at hand.

“I'm not a robot. At the same time, of course, my thoughts constantly are going on. I am thinking about it,” Khachanov said. “But then you need to try to cut them and say, ‘Okay, my focus has to be on my next opponent. I have to get ready. I have to defeat them’. And again, I just go out there and play. And then, okay, you fight through. Hopefully if you win again, then you can switch and focus on the next one. That’s it. Otherwise, thinking too far away, I think is not helpful for anybody.”