Australian Open 2025: 25 favorites to watch out for | No. 23, Men's Singles
Next up on the list of men's singles title favorites at the Australian Open 2025 is Karen Khachanov. The 2024 season was a mixed bag for him. He won a couple of titles, first at the Qatar Open and then at the Almaty Open, along with a runner-up finish at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna.
However, Khachanov failed to get going when it came to the big events. A fourth-round showing at the Australian Open was his best result at the Majors. He reached the last eight at the Monte-Carlo Masters and capped off the year on a high with a semifinal appearance at the Paris Masters, a tournament he won in the past with a win over Novak Djokovic in the final.
Khachanov compiled a 37-22 record this year, and finished the season ranked No. 19, his sixth year-end finish inside the top 20. He's now a veteran of the tour, with many of his peers having surpassed him along with a fresh crop of players. Nevertheless, he's still a decent threat to top players with his brand of tennis.
This was the first time since 2020 that Khachanov didn't advance to the quarterfinals of a Major at the very least. The Melbourne Major ranks his second-best in terms of match wins and he will be eager to improve upon his prior best result there.
Karen Khachanov's previous semifinal finish at the Australian Open could fuel him to perform even better in 2025
Karen Khachanov came quite close to making the final of the Australian Open in 2023. He progressed to the semifinals with wins over Bernabe Zapata Miralles, Jason Kubler, Frances Tiafoe, Yoshihito Nishioka, and Sebastian Korda. The Russian faced Stefanos Tsitsipas for a spot in the championship round, and lost to him in four competitive sets.
Khachanov also reached the semifinals of the US Open 2022. Both of his best results at the Majors have come on hardcourts, with his past results indicating a heavy tilt towards a good run in Melbourne.
Khachanov has an 18-8 record at the Australian Open. Following his semifinal finish last year, he bowed out in the fourth round this year. However, it was the in-form Jannik Sinner who knocked him out, and went on to win the title. If it was anyone else, then he could've possibly gone further.
Based on Khachanov's overall performances over the past few years, he's definitely an outside pick to make a play for the title. His record against top players is the biggest knock against him. However, if he's able to go toe-to-toe with them, or if he gets a favorable draw, then one cannot rule him out.
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