WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 23, 2020

Karen Khachanov

Press Conference

K. KHACHANOV/A. Bublik

6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How did it feel out there today on the court? What were you pleased with?

KAREN KHACHANOV: Yeah, you know, first match in six months. On the other side, it feels a little bit strange for everybody still without crowd, with all those rules, restrictions.

But honestly, you know, you have time to focus just on the tennis. Nothing disturbs you from outside.

I think from my side it was quite a solid match, I would say. I was not expecting to play unbelievable, but on the other side, I did a lot of work before.

So, yeah, I'm happy to get the win, to stay in the tournament, to have another match and, yeah, just to compete again.

Q. You decided a bit later than some of the others about New York. I'm wondering what made you decide in the end? Because you mentioned it wasn't an easy decision. What pushed you to make this decision?

KAREN KHACHANOV: Well, for me it was most important that we can come back to Europe, because my family stayed there so that I can, after U.S. trip, come back to Europe, practice there with my team, and basically to prepare for the next tournaments, clay tournaments, and just to, yeah, stay together there.

Because it was not clarified for us, to us, and that's why with that was, I think, the main case in my decision, yeah.

Q. Is it a unique experience to shoot some hoops with the guy you just played? How fun is that to have that sort of opportunity to take advantage of, having more room on-site and all of that?

KAREN KHACHANOV: I never played against him, so for me was the first experience. You know, he has some weapons. He has a big serve. You know, good hands, good touch. It's never easy to play against a guy like him.

You know, for me, I was more concentrating pretty similar way if I would play against Nick, and I think I did well, so I just had few opportunities. I took them. I broke him, and then, you know, just kept my serve. That's why in this case I think I did a pretty good job.

Q. Sorry, I meant with the basketball.

KAREN KHACHANOV: Sorry, I didn't understand you. Tell me again.

Q. No, I saw the video of you guys. I think it was after the match just having some fun? What's that like to have that feeling?

KAREN KHACHANOV: You know, yeah. The match finished. He actually took it easy. He was not pissed, maybe, after the match, and he just asked me if I want to play one or two games in basketball.

I destroyed him there, as well, so, you know, he goes home with 2-0 down (smiling).

Q. Russian men's tennis has been really coming on with you and Daniil and Rublev. Could you just break that down? Why the success? Just give us some insight on that and what it means and how you push each other and the rivalries within.

KAREN KHACHANOV: You know, there is no explanation why. It's just about generations. I think a lot of things have to come up into a person, into a tennis player to play on a higher level.

So I think, first of all, of course we -- you know, all of us, we were motivated from young age. We were playing together, maybe it's the reason, we were competing against each other and motivating to work and to improve and try to climb. You know, when one guy has success, another one is catching up and trying to reach the same.

So maybe that's one of the reasons. But on the other side, I would say all of us, we are hard workers. We like to work. We are doing different job with our teams, and, yeah, at the end, hard work pays off. Sometimes it's just like this. I don't know.

Q. Can you talk a bit about the last five months? Where were you most of the time? How did it go for you mentally? How much training did you actually do?

KAREN KHACHANOV: You know, since when pandemic started, I went first back to Russia, to Moscow, with the whole family, and I stayed there about three-and-a-half months maybe or four, I don't know.

Yeah, I was just at home practicing at home since March, doing a lot of fitness. I was always in contact with my team. We were doing some plans. Sometimes it was difficult to make plans, because we don't know when it's going to, you know, when we can see each other.

So from that side, you know, I was separated from my team. Then I started to play tennis as soon as there was opportunity.

At the beginning of July, finally I could fly to Europe and, yeah, meet my team. Then from, like, 5th July we met. We played two exhibitions, and then from that moment we finally did, like, four weeks' preparation together already.

But I mean anyway I was practicing during all those four months before, so I was pretty fit. It was just more to see each other and to see my coaches and my team and to stay together finally after such a long time.

Q. Without the restrictions and everything that's new at tournaments, is there anything in particular you find tricky to adjust to or to deal with?

KAREN KHACHANOV: You know, the whole world is trying to adjust to a lot of different things that, you know, we have to follow the protocols, we have to follow the rules. Unfortunately they are like this. The situation is like this.

For me, I think I find it more difficult is, you know, no crowd. It's tough to feel the energy, you know, from outside, because, you know, we are used to play with a full stadium, especially big tournaments.

That's the main thing. You know, also some restrictions is you cannot leave the hotel. You need to stay in just courts. Hotel, it reminds me a little bit of junior times, we were going by bus all together.

So from the other side, it's very positive. We have whole stadium just for the players, nobody disturb you. You have free time for yourself. You can do whatever you want and, you know, practice, go to play some games like basketball or other stuff. And, yeah. You know, you always have to find some positive things in any situation.