Editor's note: This story was published before Karen Khachanov's five-set, quarterfinal victory over Nick Kyrgios on Tuesday night.
Until 2022, Karen Khachanov's best year at the Grand Slams came in 2018, when he compiled a 9-4 record across the four majors, reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon and Roland Garros.
He very well may have reached the last 16 at the US Open, too, had he not ran into then-world No. 1 Rafael Nadal. Then 22 years old, Khachanov put up a titanic fight against the Spaniard and led by a set and a break before dropping a 5-7, 7-5, 7-6(6), 7-6(3) heartbreaker in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Khachanov was the No. 27 seed that fortnight, just as he is now in New York. This time, he's broken through to his first New York quarterfinal.
"I always mention that I like New York City and I like the energy of the crowd, the way they entertain," the 26-year-old said after his five-set Round of 16 win against Montreal champion Pablo Carreno Busta.
"I had good memories from the years before, playing in Arthur Ashe Stadium, as well. It's not like something new, but always great when you go through and you have your best performance. That obviously counts as the best right now."
Back in 2018, Khachanov bounced back from the defeat against Nadal to win two titles before the end of the season, including the biggest title of his career at the Rolex Paris Masters, where he defeated Alexander Zverev, Dominic Thiem, and Novak Djokovic in succession—all in straight sets—to lift the title as an unseeded upstart.
In 2019, he reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at Roland Garros (beating Juan Martin del Potro in the fourth round) and rose to a career-high of world No. 8.
It might seem odd to call the 6-foot-6 power hitter "Mr. Consistent," but that's exactly what he's been, at least in terms of the ATP rankings. Since breaking into the Top 35 just before the 2018 US Open, Khachanov has never dropped below that mark, including a five-month stint inside the Top 10 in 2019.
This season, he has reached as high as No. 22 and reached three consecutive quarterfinals in June ('s-Hertogenbosch, Halle, Hamburg). He also advanced to the fourth round at Roland Garros, before bowing out against Carlos Alcaraz.
"[At the] US Open I wanted to do well. Also I felt like I was playing a good level overall lately, since the second part of clay season," he said of his solid form entering New York. "I was playing more consistent. I had better results, like reaching quarterfinals, semifinals. I wanted to do one more step to have bigger results."
He later added: "I'm right now in a good state of mind, [playing a] good level of tennis. I'm really happy to reach first time quarterfinals here in New York."
A silver medalist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (played in 2021), Khachanov reached his first ATP Tour final since 2018 at the start of this season in Adelaide. Soon after, he lost to eventual champ Nadal in the Australian Open third round, dropping to 0-8 lifetime against the Spaniard. In April, he reached the Belgrade semis, bowing out against eventual champ Novak Djokovic in the Serbian's home city to fall to 1-6 in that head-to-head.
But neither GOAT is on hand in New York to spoil his run. Instead, it's Nick Kyrgios who will provide the opposition in the quarterfinals—with Casper Ruud waiting ahead in the semis.
Khachanov and Kyrgios have split two meetings, both going the distance. Khachanov won a three-setter in 2019 in Cincinnati, while Kyrgios claimed a five-setter at the 2020 Australian Open. Six of the eight sets they've played have been decided by tiebreaks, including the last four in Melbourne, where Khachanov fell just short of a comeback from two sets down.
But the Nick Kyrgios of 2022 is a different beast.
"Nick said himself that he doesn't recognize himself, in a way, how professional he is right now," Khachanov noted, looking ahead to the quarterfinal matchup. "I think Wimbledon showed him—if he does the things like he does now—which kind of level he has, what he's capable of. Obviously everybody knows that, the way he's serving.
"I think the thing would be the same for me: focus on serve, keep the serve. In rallies we have the same, equal chances. It will be always the question of how the point starts, with the serve and return."
An avid chess player, Khachanov will hope to win a battle that may look more like wizard's chess in the Harry Potter films—such will be the destruction caused by both baseline bashers.
Khachanov—nicknamed "Silent K" by ESPN's Brad Gilbert, as the K in his surname is not pronounced—and Kyrgios—one half of the "Special Ks" doubles team with fellow Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis, which lost in the US Open Round of 16—will both look for the KO on Sunday night in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Mr. Consistent?: Khachanov's aggressive game has produced 163 winners, including service winners, and 138 unforced errors in four US Open matches.
