Karen Khachanov has addressed his decision to publicly support a disputed region which has angered the Azerbaijani Tennis Federation after reaching the semi-finals of the Australian Open.
The world No.20 sealed his place in the last four of the tournament after his opponent, Seb Korda, was forced to retire in the third set due to a right wrist injury. Khachanov was leading the match 7-6(5), 6-3, 3-0, before his opponent was forced to call it quits. It is the second Grand Slam in a row he has reached the semi-final stage. Before this year he had never gone beyond the third round of the Australian Open.
“I think the first semifinals I reached at the US Open (last year), gave me an extra boost and extra confidence to show where I really am and what I can do when I’m at my best, and how can I be more consistent with that form,” Khachanov said during his press conference.
“So I think all those things together, they push me to where I am right now.”
The 26-year-old has dropped only two sets in five matches played at the tournament. Prior to playing Korda, he also defeated fellow US Open semi-finalist Frances Tiafoe before crushing Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka in straight sets.
After both of those matches, Khachanov wrote messages on the TV camera lens expressing support for Artsakh which is the Armenia term for a place known by others as the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. After beating Tiafoe he wrote “Artsakh stay strong” and then following his triumph over Nishioka he wrote “Keep believing until the very end. Artsakh, hold on!”
“I have Armenian roots. From my father’s side, from my grandfather’s side, even from my mom’s side. I’m half Armenian,” Khachanov explained to reporters.
“I just wanted to show strength and support to my people. That’s it.”
Under international law, Nagorno-Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan but its population is largely Armenian. The two countries have engaged in fighting over the region. Access to food, medical supplies and people in areas controlled by ethnic Armenians is via a road known as the Lachin corridor. It is the only link between the area and the Republic of Armenia. However, in recent weeks this road has been blocked by protesters from Azerbaijan which has prompted a standoff.
In a statement earlier this week, the Azerbaijan Tennis Federation (FTA) sent a letter to both the Australian Open and International Tennis Federation protesting against Khachanov’s messages. In it, they called for the ITF to ‘punish Khachanov and take drastic measures so that similar situations do not recur.’
However, the tennis star has said he has not been asked by anybody to stop writing such messages on the camera lenses and he is yet to hear anything about the FTA’s letter.
Khachanov, who still has relatives living in Armenia, is only the 10th active player to have reached the quarter-finals or better at every Grand Slam tournament. In his next match at the Australian Open, he will play either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Jiri Lehecka.
