Tennis star Karen Khachanov will take to the tennis courts in Europe in April

Karen Khachanov's European tour has had its own ups and downs so far.

After capping off a duo of North American competitions with a round of 16 Miami Open performance against Alexander Zverev (1-6, 4-6), the Russian-Armenian tennis star was scheduled for European action. Khachanov's first match after his two-set loss to Zverev saw him take to the clay courts of Monaco for the Monte-Carlo Masters.

Khachanov concluded his 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters campaign with a round of 16 loss to his doubles teammate Andrey Rublev in straight sets 6-7, 2-6. He had a better finish in mind. The Armenian started his 2024 run in the round of 64 with a showdown against Britain's Cameron Norrie on April 8. A two-set victory 7-5, 7-6 (4) followed for Khachanov, who also doubled the ace statistic in the match 13-2.

Khachanov then took on Argentina's Francisco Cerndolo in the round of 32, who gave Khachanov something to consider early in the match. Cerndolo secured the first set with a 4-6 scoreline, but that was enough of a wake-up call for Khachanov to win the next two sets 6-4 and 6-3 and complete a three-set victory.

In the round of 16, Khachanov faced one of his toughest opponents of 2024. Daniil Medvedev, the fourth-ranked men's tennis player, was matched against current 18th-ranked Khachanov on April 11. However, the final score suggested that there is not much weight attached to those world rankings. Khachanov secured a resounding two-set victory against one of the best tennis players in the world (6-3, 7-5) to reach his furthest round of the Monte-Carlo Masters in his career.

Khachanov's run in Monaco came to a halt in the quarter-finals after a match with Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas. After dropping just one set during his Monte-Carlo Masters run, Tsitsipas ended Khachanov's time on the clay courts with a 6-4, 6-2 win. Tsitsipas was so dominant in the French Riviera that he eventually won the Monte-Carlo Masters 6-1, 6-4 against Casper Ruud.

Khachanov's luck would run out before his next match, the Barcelona Open. Ahead of his opening match with Roberto Bautista Agut on April 17, Khachanov made an announcement. On his Instagram story, Khachanov wrote: Unfortunately, I had to withdraw from the ATP500 tournament in Barcelona due to a minor injury. Now my team and I are fully committed to the recovery and preparation process. Hopefully I'll be ready for the tournament in Madrid. I'll see you in court soon.

Ten days after his scheduled opening round match at the Barcelona Open, Khachanov prepared for the clay courts of the Madrid Open. The opponent waiting for Khachanov in the round of 64 was Roberto Bautista Agut, the same opponent the Armenian would face in the opening match of the Barcelona Open. Sometimes it's just meant to be.

Khachanov limped out of the gate, dropping the first set before storming back to a three-set win, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. Two days later, Khachanov took out the broomstick to beat Flavio Cobolli 7-5, 6-4. Khachanov was through to the fourth round of the Madrid Open with a chance to reach his second career quarterfinal.

Khachanov was once again set for a date with one of the best tennis players. This time, the second-best tennis player in the world, 22-year-old Jannik Sinner, was lined up to face Khachanov. The Armenian roared out with a 7-5 victory in the first set, but Sinner's young mastery proved too much to overcome, with the Italian eventually winning in three sets 5-7, 6-3, 6-3. Sinner withdrew from his quarterfinal match against Felix Auger Aliassime, resulting in a walkover. Aliassime reached the final of the Madrid Open, but lost to Andrey Rublev in three sets.

What's next for Khachanov? The tennis player is preparing for the Italian Open, with the first service taking place on May 10. Khachanov will begin his Italian Open run in the round of 64, with his opponent yet to be determined.

Jason Takhtadjian is a reporter, producer and weekend anchor at KCAU-TV in Sioux City, Iowa. Takhtadjian began his studies in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on aerospace until he decided to pursue a career in sports broadcasting after a semester at the University of Nevada – Las Vegas. While at UNLV, Takhtadjian worked on his own weekly football and basketball radio show/podcast, produced his own sports debate show, was part of the university's weekly sports show The Rebel Report, and was the play-by-play commentator for UNLV -men and women. women's soccer and basketball, to name a few. When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, Jason graduated from college and had to turn to the world of general news to get a job. Three years after taking a job in the central United States, where no Armenian community existed, Takhtadjian accepted a reporting position at KSEE in Fresno, California. The 26-year-old also worked as a contributor for Armenian Sports News, growing the page by thousands of followers in less than a year.