US OPEN

September 9, 2022

Karen Khachanov

Press Conference

C. RUUD/K. Khachanov

7-6, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Your thoughts on your performance this afternoon.

KAREN KHACHANOV: You know, we can discuss for a long time about what I could do better, what I did good (smiling).

But if I just make a conclusion, overall it's still a great tournament obviously for me. I'm really, really happy in a way. Still, there is a little bit disappointment obviously. After any match you feel you could do something maybe better or just a guy played really... All the credit to him, obviously.

As soon as you go deeper and deeper, you have more belief. You just want to finish lifting the trophy. Obviously, these thoughts, they stay in your mind.

Yeah, this is my kind of thoughts right now.

THE MODERATOR: Great tournament, though.

KAREN KHACHANOV: Obviously. If you tell me before the event I would do semifinal, I would sign it right away. There is no question, no doubt about it.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Where was your head after the 55-stroke rally to close the set?

KAREN KHACHANOV: I think I've never had a rally 55 shots. I think it's a record obviously from my side. I don't know about him. That was a crazy rally on the set point.

My thoughts were actually that I'm in the game. I felt pumped in a way that we had this long rally, we were moving both. I felt like, Okay, it's a painful one to lose a set with this point. On the other side I felt like, Okay, now we're moving a lot, let's keep on going.

Actually a few games after showed me it was not that good, the long rally. So I don't know.

Q. With Casper, what makes him so tough to defeat?

KAREN KHACHANOV: Well, he's No. 2 in the world right now. That shows his improvement in a way. I mean, the main thing, obviously his consistency. His way of defending. As soon as you kind of pushing, give him the space to step in, he's really fast to go around his forehand, play aggressive as well.

He improved his serve a lot, as well. Return, he made a lot of returns in, even though I had a high percentage of serving. That's always a question if the guy reads your serve well or you didn't serve good enough. But the percentage was there.

I would say he made me uncomfortable in some situations. He was returning many balls in play. I had to work on the point every time.

Q. Is there something not very obvious about Casper that makes him difficult that maybe people wouldn't automatically see or understand?

KAREN KHACHANOV: Yeah, I think overall game. If you see from that perspective, he's not that tall, but he has big serve, precise. The same time his main weapon is his forehand, going around, accelerating the ball, having one of the heaviest topspins on tour.

He improve his backhand as well. He's not missing that many balls. He's changing down the line. Like I said, he's overall consistent baseliner, let's call him like that.

Q. What are you most proud of from the six matches? What from this tournament are you hoping to apply to the future?

KAREN KHACHANOV: Yeah, if I look back, I had really great wins under my belt, great fighting matches. I had two five-setters.

I feel tired. As the tournament finish, I feel really, really kind of destroyed in a way, really tired. All the energy went down. We're almost three weeks in New York, preparing the week before.

Yeah, I'm really proud of myself obviously to reach the semifinals. I was really close in a way to make the final. I was thinking and dreaming obviously to lift the trophy.

I don't like to speak too far and go too far. Just one match at a time. I lost today. I take all the positives. It shows me the level that I'm playing, that I'm really close, that I have to continue my journey, I have to continue building up and not stopping, just looking forward with a clear head. Just to continue the journey, continue the belief, and hopefully one day I will lift that trophy.

Q. The tour obviously moves to Europe now. I don't know how aware of this you are, but the European Union is having a lot of talks about tightening up visa rules for Russian players. Has that been a discussion amongst you, if you're concerned?

KAREN KHACHANOV: I mean, what can I do? If they will not allow us to enter Europe, there is nothing I can do about it, right?

We didn't really discuss. To be honest, I don't read the news. I don't like to read the news lately. I just go one tournament at a time.

Right now, this one, US Open, unfortunately finished for me. I will go home, back home. I really want to rest. I want to see my son. I didn't see him for quite a few weeks, for the whole American trip. It's around six weeks. I really want to go home, see my family, relax a little bit, then make plan with my team where we can go, what we can play.

Obviously we had some plans in mind, but some plans might change. We will adapt to situation. What can I say?

Q. Your home is still Russia?

KAREN KHACHANOV: I mean, my city and where I come from is Russia, Moscow. But I have residence, I live in Dubai.

Q. 'Going home' means Dubai?

KAREN KHACHANOV: Yeah.