Khachanov Reflects on US Open Exit: It Was a Sign to Take a Break

The 10th-ranked tennis player in the world, Russian athlete Karen Khachanov, shared his thoughts on withdrawing from the tournament in Hangzhou following his loss in the second round of the 2025 US Open. He was defeated by Kamil Majchrzak with scores of 6:2, 7:6 (7:4), 4:6, 5:7, 6:7 (5:10).

— Regarding your tournament schedule, you withdrew from Hangzhou, where you were entered after the US Open. Did your five-set loss in the second round affect your decision? What happened there?
— No, it’s not really about that. Of course, it was a frustrating defeat, especially since I was leading and in good shape. But the match unfolded in a way that I lost after being up 2-0 in sets. Prior to that tournament, I played against Zverev [in the fourth round of the Masters in Cincinnati], and I experienced back pain for the third time this year. It was uncomfortable. It signaled that it was time to take a break. You can’t keep pushing yourself indefinitely. Sure, it’s possible to do that, but eventually, you’ll end up breaking down.

Thus, my team and I discussed the necessity of taking a break. There are different types of breaks, and we decided on just one extra week. Of course, I didn’t take a break for a month and a half. However, I had to sacrifice some tournaments. My ranking in the ATP was within the top ten, and I was 12th in the Race. Everything was going well, but we needed to adjust the plan and make a decision. With a bit more time on my hands, I visited my doctor for therapy. I needed to rest and process everything, so to speak. After that, I moved on to a training block, — Khachanov said in an interview with Championship correspondent Daniil Salnikov.