Karen Khachanov faced scrutiny over his name when an old video resurfaced online. The Russian tennis star is renowned for his exceptional performances in ATP tournaments, steadily improving his ranking. However, during what appeared to be an interview at a tournament, Khachanov was confronted with a racist question right from the start. The interviewer asked why he had a name typically associated with women, without considering the cultural variations of names like Karen. Despite the offensive remark, Khachanov managed to maintain his composure and responded to the question. The incident sparked outrage among fans, who criticized the reporter for his racist comment. Although the video was from the past, it still garnered significant reactions from supporters. Nevertheless, Khachanov has moved on and continues to participate in various tournaments.
Russian tennis player Karen Khachanov often goes unnoticed as an underdog, but he proves himself when it matters the most. In 2024, the 27-year-old surpassed many opponents by reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open. Although he lost in straight sets, Khachanov did not let the defeat affect his form. He went on to compete in the Open 13, where he made it to the semifinals before being eliminated. Currently, Khachanov is participating in the Qatar tournament as the second seed.
Here are some of the reactions to the viral video:
– “Why do you have a girl’s name?”
– “Why do you have a job, you self-centered jerk?”
– “The disrespect and ignorance are unbelievable. You handled it well, Karen.”
– “That reporter would also question why an Italian is named Andrea or Simone.”
– “What an idiot!”
– “It’s so disgusting. Karen remained calm and responded admirably.”
– “This didn’t actually happen.”
– “He should have punched the reporter in the face for asking such a racist question.”
With the withdrawal of [player’s name], Karen Khachanov emerged as one of the top contenders in the tournament, providing him with an opportunity to shine in one of the significant ATP events in the Middle East. The tournament’s top seed is [player’s name], who also aims to secure titles after a successful run in Melbourne. Given the favorable circumstances, the Russian player will test his luck at the Qatar Open in hopes of earning valuable points.
According to the Source firstsportz.com