"From Armenia with love" - Karen Khachanov and Andre Agassi share a heartfelt moment as they bond over their roots
Karen Khachanov and Andre Agassi recently shared a heartwarming moment celebrating their roots during an event in Los Angeles.
The Russian suffered a disappointing defeat in the second round of the 2024 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. Seeded 15th in the tournament, he received a bye in the first round. Up against Brazil's Thiago Seyboth Wild in the Round of 64, Khachanov was outclassed on the day, losing 6-1, 7-5.
Khachanov made his way to Glendale, Los Angeles, California, following his defeat to take on compatriot Andrey Rublev in a charity match on March 16 at UCLA’s Los Angeles Tennis Center. The proceeds from the event were to be donated to the Artsakh refugees, an ongoing conflict close to Khachanov's heart.
Khachanov was spotted at a dinner event on the eve of the exhibition match and the legendary Andre Agassi was also in attendance.
The pair were photographed in conversation with each other, celebrating their 'Armenian' roots. They later posed for a photo together which Khachanov shared via social media.
"From little Armenia with love ❤️🇦🇲 Thanks for coming and support the event! @agassi 🤝," Khachanov captioned the photo.
Both Khachanov and Agassi share Armenian ancestry despite holding Russian and American citizenship. Khachanov's father, Abgar, was an Armenian from Yerevan, the capital and largest city in Armenia. His maternal grandfather was also half-Armenian.
Agassi's father, Emmanuel "Mike" Agassi, is of Assyrian and Armenian ancestry.
Karen Khachanov wins first title of 2024 and sixth career title in Qatar
Karen Khachanov captured the sixth title of his career and his first in 2024 at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in February earlier this year.
The hard-hitting Russian outlasted teenager Jakub Mensik 7-6 (12), 6-4 to lift the ATP 250 trophy. He won the tournament without dropping a set all week. The win also propelled him to World No. 15 in the men's ranking.
Speaking to the press after his win, he reiterated his desire to always compete at the highest level. He also paid tribute to the winner's trophy in Doha, describing it as one of the 'nicest' ones out there.
"Every title is a special one. Every time, you want to win. We play around 22 tournaments per season and at the end of the day, you compete every week. For sure here in Doha it is one of the nicest trophies," Khachanov said during his on-court interview.
Apart from his exploits in Qatar, Khachanov also reached the fourth round of the Australian Open this season, losing to eventual champion Jannik Sinner. He also reached the semi-finals at the Open 13 in Marseille and the Round of 16 at the Dubai Tennis Championships.