Ranking Top 10 ATP players yet to win a Major: Karen Khachanov

One of three Russian players currently in the top 15 of the ATP rankings, Karen Khachanov has enjoyed his most consistent patch of his career in the last 18 months. Hopefully, his recent injury woes will not prevent him from maintaining his string of deep runs in majors.

In the 2000s, Russia had quite a crop of major champions and contenders. In 2004, three Russian women won majors (Myskina, Sharapova, Kuznetsova). The following year, Marat Safin won his second major title. While Maria Sharapova and the Russian women would continue to have success on tour, the Russian men did not have a major champion until Daniil Medvedev’s triumph at the 2021 US Open.

Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, and Karen Khachanov ushered in a new era of Russian contenders in the late 2010s. While Medvedev has been the most successful of the trio, Khachanov’s success should not go unnoticed.

Can Karen Khachanov ever win a Grand Slam?

Karen Khachanov is a Masters 1000 champion, having defeated Novak Djokovic at the Paris Masters in 2018. Khachanov has 4 career singles titles, won a silver medal at the 2021 Olympics, and has reached 3 quarterfinals and 2 semifinals at the Majors. Prior to his injury midway through this season, Khachanov had reached the quarterfinals or better at three consecutive majors (2022 US Open, 2023 Australian Open, 2023 French Open).

Can Karen Conquer a Major?

When Khachanov is healthy and confident, he has the tools to beat the best in the game. His serve can be a huge weapon, as can his forehand. The biggest issue in his career has been consistency. After winning his maiden Masters 1000 title, he struggled to maintain his form. The last two years, he has played some of his best tennis consistently. He will need to remain healthy if he has a chance to go all the way at a Grand Slam.

Likelihood to Win a Major: Possible

Top Ten Countdown So Far

Number 10 – Richard Gasquet

Number 9 – Karen Khachanov