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After winning a silver medal last year at the Tokyo Olympics, is Khachanov the most unpredictable player in recent memory?

By Myre Aberdan

TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 01: Silver medalist Karen Khachanov of Team ROC poses on the podium during the medal ceremony for Tennis Men's Singles on day nine of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Tennis Park on August 01, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 01: Silver medalist Karen Khachanov of Team ROC poses on the podium during the medal ceremony for Tennis Men's Singles on day nine of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Tennis Park on August 01, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) /
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The 2020 Tokyo Olympics was one of the most unusual Olympic formats in recent memory. Due to the novel coronavirus outbreak which had shocked the world in 2020, the event was rescheduled and played in the middle of 2021. Despite the ban on fans in many events- the 28th Olympic games took place, in all its glory, a spectacle to behold given the unbelievably tough year the world had to go through.

On the tennis side, many pundits predicted Novak, Medvedev and potentially Tsitisipas or Zverev, to be the 3 medallists at the Olympics. However, in an event that stunned the tennis world, Karen Khachanov came from left field to take home the prestigious silver medal at the Summer Games. Despite having never made it past a quarterfinal at a major, Khachanov saved his best tennis for a stage which mattered so much to him. It is the curious case of Karen Khachanov, a player that can produce some of the highest level of tennis when he is on, and can also lose to an unranked qualifier when he’s off.

For instance, at last year’s US Open, despite winning Olympic silver, Karen Khachanov was beaten in the 1st round by Lloyd Harris, in 5 sets. In the last 3 years, Khachanov has also struggled to perform at Masters 1000 events, having lost in the 2nd and 3rd round in 18 of the last 20 Masters 1000 events. Khachanov is clearly an unbelievable player, but his best and his worst is so astronomically different. Compare, for instance, his run to the 2018 Paris Masters, defeating Djokovic, to his performance at any of this year’s Masters 1000s. In Miami this year, he lost to Tommy Paul. No disrespect to Tommy Paul whatsoever, he is a rising talent in the sport who will reach some great results-but Karen Khachanov really should not be losing in the 2nd round of Masters to players ranked in their 40s. Karen Khachanov broke through alongside a generation of players, like Zverev and Medvedev, however, he has almost been left behind.

All in all, given his prestiogious silver medal at last year;s Tokyo Olympics, is Karen Khachanov the most unpredictable player in recent memory?

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