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In a recent interview with L’Equipe, Karen Khachanov revealed his goals for the rest of the season, spending a few words on the new world tennis champions: Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
The Russian tennis player compared the Era of the Big Three and Fab Four with the current one, explaining how in the past, with their presence, it was almost impossible to win.
“Before, the Big Four, with Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, were superior to the others. There was a big difference in terms of level. Now I have the feeling that Alcaraz and Sinner are ahead, yes, but not that much. This is my feeling. It will be increasingly interesting to see who dominates. Although, okay, Novak is still playing,” Khachanov said.
The number 14 in the ATP ranking then said he was aware that he still had to grow physically to compete in big tournaments.
“You want to win everything, obviously, but I’m trying to be a player for big matches and big tournaments. That’s where you have to be physically present, although I don’t think I’m at 100% of my physical capabilities yet. You have to be able to hold on for a long time, I know that even if I’m behind I can catch up and that helps me,” explained the 27-year-old.
The silver medalist at the Tokyo Olympic Games finally revealed his dream.
“My opponents know that to beat me they will have to play three excellent sets. I haven’t won any Grand Slam tournament; yet in the semifinals or quarterfinals I only lost to excellent players, which shows that I’m there, very close. And my goal remains the same: to try to win a Grand Slam title,” concluded the Russian.
The victory in Doha
Last week was a memorable one for Khachanov, who at the ATP 250 in Doha took advantage of the premature elimination of his compatriot and friend Andrey Rublev to let his experience prevail and win his sixth career title.
Seeded number 2, the Russian made a clear path, eliminating Marozsan, Ruusuvuori, Popyrin in succession without losing a single set, winning twice in a 26-point tiebreak, and concluding the tournament by beating the young Mensik in the final.
The current number 14 in the ATP ranking has returned to playing on important stages after a few years of decline, and now aspires to even more prestigious results.
