Novak Djokovic congratulates Karen Khachanov on Zhuhai Championships victory
Novak Djokovic congratulated Karen Khachanov after the Russian won his first title in five years at the Zhuhai Championships. Khachanov was out of action for some time after the French Open and returned to action at the US Open, where he exited in the first round.
The Russian then competed at the Zhuhai Championships as the top seed and booked his place in the final with wins over Alex Bolt, sixth seed Mackenzie McDonald and fourth seed Sebastian Korda.
He then faced eighth seed Yoshihito Nishioka and beat him 7-6(6), 6-1 to win his fifth career singles title and first since the 2018 Paris Masters where he beat Novak Djokovic in the final.
Khachanov took to social media to celebrate his triumph, writing:
"It was a long wait but it was worth it! This win is for my wife and my sons. Missed this feeling! Super happy."
Novak Djokovic commented on Karen Khachanov's post, congratulating him on his triumph:
"Bravo Brate (brother)," the Serb wrote.
Karen Khachanov thanked his family during his victory speech in Zhuhai, calling his wife and son his biggest supporters:
"I want to thank my family. My wife Veronica. My son, David. My second son Mikael. They're watching now for sure. They are smiling. Sending them a big hug and kiss. They are the biggest supporters," the Russian said.
"I’m coming back from an injury. When coming here to Zhuhai, I was hoping to get matches. To start playing again. I had 3 months off completely from tour. I missed it a lot. I was very hungry to come back & win the title after quite a few years again. It’s really special. It’s for my family," he added.
Novak Djokovic and Karen Khachanov locked horns on ten occasions
Novak Djokovic and Karen Khachanov have faced each other ten times, with the Serb leading 9-1 in the head-to-head. The only time the Russian beat him was in the final of the 2018 Paris Masters, which remains his biggest title till date.
The last meeting between the two came in the quarterfinals of this year's French Open, with the 36-year-old winning 4-6, 7-6(0), 6-2, 6-4.
Djokovic most recently competed in the Davis Cup Finals, winning his solitary singles match against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to confirm Serbia's qualification to the quarterfinals. He will next compete at the Paris Masters.