On Sunday at the Australian Open Karen Khachanov joined a selected group of active players who have reached the quarter-finals or better at every Grand Slam tournament at least once.
In his latest match, the Russian world No.20 stormed to an emphatic 6-0, 6-0, 7-6(4), win over Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka. Dropping just three points behind his first serve and hitting 30 winners during the two-hour match to record his 52nd main draw win at a Grand Slam tournament. Immediately after his latest victory, he decided to highlight a world event which some may not know much about.
‘Keep believing and fighting until the end. Artsakh stay strong,’ Khachanov wrote on the Channel 9 Camera lens.
It is not the first time the US Open semi-finalist has done this at the Australian Open. Following his third round win over Frances Tiafoe he also wrote “Artsakh, stay strong.” So what is the backstory to Khachanov’s messages?
Artsakh is the Armenian term for a state which is known by others as Nagorno-Karabakh. Landlocked between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the two countries have clashed over the region multiple times. It is internationally regarded as part of Azerbaijan but most of the area is governed by the Republic of Artsakh which is not fully recognised.
The topic Khachanov is highlighting regards a blockade that some say has isolated the region. According to the BBC, 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 Karabakh and the Republic of Armenia. However, in recent weeks this road has been blocked by protesters from Azerbaijan which has prompted a standoff.
Khachanov is commenting on the matter as he is half-Armenian with his father coming from the country. In 2020 when there was fighting in the region he wrote on social media ‘Despite the fact that I was born in Russia, I always say that I have Armenian roots. It hurts to the depths of my soul to look at what is happening in the country, which I love very much. Innocent people and even children are dying.”
Khachanov will play Sebastian Korda in the Australian Open quarter-finals on Tuesday. According to the ITF, he is the 50th man in the Open Era to reach the last eight of all four Grand Slams and the 10th active player to do so.
