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Karen Khachanov sent a heartfelt message to his wife and kids after defeating teenager Jakub Mensik to clinch the Qatar Open title.
The 27-year-old was the second seed in Doha and started the tournament in the Round of 16 after receiving a first-round bye. He reached the final after defeating Fabian Marozsan, Emil Ruusuvuori (walkover after leading 3-0), and Alexei Popyrin.
Khachanov's opponent in the final, 18-year-old Jakub Mensik, was the surprise package of the ATP 250 event. He stunned far more experienced names such as Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Andy Murray, Andrey Rublev, and Gael Monfils to reach his maiden ATP Tour level final.
Mensik gave Khachanov a stern test in the final's first set. However, after a marathon tiebreak, Khachanov won it 7-6(12). The second set was a rather straightforward affair for the second seed as he won it 6-4 to claim his sixth title on the ATP Tour.
The Russian's family did not travel with him to Doha, and after the match, he sent a stirring message to his wife and kids.
"My biggest supports, my wife, my son, they are not here. They are supporting me on TV. I guess they are watching now. I wanted them to come, they wanted to come for the final, but they couldn't unfortunately. We are parents of 2 now with my wife and then the little one has his teeth growing up, so there are more and more problems a little bit." Khachanov said during the winner's speech.
The former World No. 8 also revealed his son's message to him before the final.
"My son was sending me a message like he really wants this falcon (Qatar Open trophy) back home. So I am really happy I could deliver it."
Karen Khachanov has broken into the top 15 with his Qatar Open triumph
Karen Khachanov found himself ranked World No. 17 in the ATP Tour rankings when he started his Qatar Open campaign. His title triumph in Doha has helped him climb two spots to reenter the top 15, as per the ATP Live rankings.
The Russian reached his career-high ranking of World No. 8 in July 2019 after reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open. The Qatar Open also marked his first title since he won the 2023 Zhuhai Championships after defeating Yoshihito Nishioka in the final.
During the winner's speech in Doha, Khachanov also commented on the similarities of the first set tiebreak against Mensik to that of his 7-6(12), 6-2 semifinal win against Alexei Popyrin.
"I thought yesterday's (tiebreak) was preparation for today, 14/12. Today I couldn't believe it was the same score, same tiebreak... 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." Khachanov said (via ATPTour.com).
