Russian-Armenian Tennis Star Karen Khachanov Crowned with Qatar ExxonMobil Open Title

Karen Khachanov takes victory at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open on Saturday, securing his sixth tour-level crown and marking his first title of the season. The 27-year-old Russian-Armenian had a fierce battle against #NextGenATP Czech Jakub Mensik, ultimately winning 7-6(12), 6-4 at the ATP 250.

Khachanov's road to victory in Doha was characterized by consistency, not dropping a set throughout the entire week. The hard-fought opener saw the Russian fend off four set points before seizing a one-set advantage on his fourth set point with a powerful forehand return.

Ranked at No. 15 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings after this triumph, Khachanov carried his momentum into the second set, breaking Mensik's serve in the opening game. The victory dampened the dreams of the 18-year-old Czech, competing in just his third tour-level event, who had previously made history as the youngest finalist in Doha tournament history.

"Every title is a special one," Khachanov remarked in his on-court interview, expressing joy at the unique significance of winning in Doha. Reflecting on the intense tie-breaks, he shared, "I stayed strong, I'm extremely happy that I won the first set. It lifted me a lot and gave me a lot of confidence to step up in the second."*

The match, lasting one hour and 49 minutes, showed both players delivering booming serves and engaging in strategic battles from the baseline. Khachanov humorously likened Mensik's serve to that of John Isner, given the Czech's impressive 16 aces.

Khachanov, not facing a break point throughout the match, maintained an 83% success rate behind his first serve. His formidable baseline play, particularly in backhand cross-court rallies, secured his first title since Zhuhai in September of the previous year.