Tonight, Karen Khachanov will collide with Ben Shelton in the final of the National Bank Open in Toronto.
As Khachanov prepares to face off with Shelton, here are five fast facts you need to know about the Toronto Open finalist.
#1: He’s an Avid Chess Player
While plenty of other members of the ATP Tour spend their free time golfing, Karen Khachanov enjoys playing chess with his team.
Back in 2023, amid a run that saw him reach three straight major quarterfinals after falling out of the top 20 the year before, Khachanov spoke with Tennis.com about how playing chess with his team helps him on-court:
“I like to play with my other coach José Clavet from Spain. I used to play a lot with him, even a few matches during the day, you know, in the morning to start the brain working and going.”
“I think when you open your head and you are really full into the game, you see the field much bigger. You see the possible shots which you can make troubles to the opponent. … I think, yeah, there are some similarities.”
#2: He Started Playing Tennis at the Age of 3
Karen Khachanov’s journey as a tennis player began at a young age. According to a 2016 ESPN article, he first picked up a racquet at the age of three. In addition to playing tennis while growing up, Khachanov also notably played basketball at the national level for Russia during his days as a high schooler.
In a 2017 interview with Russian outlet ChampionAT, Khachanov opened on getting his start in tennis as a young kid:
“When I was three, my parents, who played tennis for fun, decided that I should try playing after kindergarten. I went to training three times a week. When I was eight, I started receiving individual lessons, and then I started training at Spartak. I wanted more lessons, so I asked to go to a summer camp.
“When I was 16, I moved to Croatia, where Vedran Martic, who had previously coached Goran Ivanisevic, worked with me for a year and a half.”
#3: He Played Doubles with his Brother-In-Law at the 2018 French Open
Karen Khachanov’s wife, whom he married in 2016, has a twin sister, who is married to Ilya Ivashka, a 31-year-old tennis player who reached a career high of No. 40 in the world back in 2022.
Years before that, the two brothers-in-law competed in doubles together at the 2018 French Open, where they were eliminated in the first round by Henri Kontinen and John Peers.
#4: He’s A Longtime Friend of Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev
Karen Khachanov has longstanding friendships with Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev going all the way back to their time playing juniors together as kids.
During an interview with ATP Tour years back, Medvedev cited Khachanov and Rublev as two of his best friends on tour, saying that the trio have essentially known each other since the age of 10.
Because of that, Khachanov and Rublev notably attended the baptism of Medvedev’s daughter back in 2023, with the three all featuring in photos together shared on Instagram.
#5: He & Rublev Raised $100,000 For Artsakh Refugees
Despite the grueling ATP season practically spanning 12 months, Karen Khachanov has shown throughout his career that he’s more than willing to take time to participate in philanthropic endeavors.
Given that Khachanov’s father is Armenian, he’s continued to support the Republic of Artsakh. After writing a message in support of Artsakh on the camera during the 2023 Australian Open, the following year he and Rublev played a charity match at UCLA’s Tennis Center with proceeds going to Artsakh refugees.
According to Tennis.com, the match raised $100,000.
The outlet quoted Khachanov as saying:
“I’ve said this many times that I have Armenian roots. I was born in Russia but my family was half-Armenian and half-Russian, so that’s why, for me, it’s very important that I’m attached to this country.”
Karen Khachanov: 5 Fast Facts About Toronto Open Finalist