Karen Khachanov Makes Hilarious Remark on the Longevity of Novak Djokovic After an Exhibition at Hurlingham

Karen Khachanov recently defeated Novak Djokovic in straight sets at the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic in Hurlingham.

Karen Khachanov Makes Hilarious Remark on the Longevity of Novak Djokovic After an Exhibition at Hurlingham

Novak Djokovic and Karen Khachanov (via Punto de Break)

Seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic will compete at the All England Club with just one exhibition match on grass prior. Djokovic faced Karen Khachanov at the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic in Hurlingham, where the Russian defeated him in straight sets.

Khachanov, on the other hand, will enter Wimbledon after having played the Libema Open and Halle Open on grass. He had a decent run in both tournaments, reaching the quarterfinal at the Libema Open and the semifinal at the Halle Open, where he lost to eventual champion Alexander Bublik. 

Several other players also featured at the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic, including the likes of Stefanos Tsitsipas, Frances Tiafoe, Jack Draper, and Holger Rune. Khachanov earned a tight 7-6, 6-4 victory in an hour and 23 minutes after an entertaining battle.

The Serb squandered a set point in the tenth game of the first set before losing the tiebreak. Khachanov endured the efforts in the fifth game of the second set and sealed the victory with a late break at 5-4. He took 14 points more than Djokovic and emerged as a deserved winner. The Russian also praised his opponent, while taking a jibe at his longevity:

The grass-court season is always short. I’ve played a few tournaments, but Novak doesn’t need them. He’s always ready. Age is just a number and has no importance… His ambition is to play at least until 2032…

Djokovic has quite often expressed his hope to play at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The 38-year-old shows no sign of retiring as of yet and is keen to keep the pursuit going for his 25th Grand Slam title. At the Wimbledon Championships, the Serb will also be aiming for his 8th title.

Novak Djokovic believes Wimbledon could be his best chance for the 25th Grand Slam title 

Novak Djokovic will be competing at his lowest seeding (sixth) since Wimbledon 2018. He will commence his campaign against Frenchman Alexandre Muller, aiming to tie Roger Federer’s record for eight titles. While speaking to the press at Wimbledon, he stated his belief that this tournament could be his best chance for the 25th Grand Slam title:

I would probably agree that Wimbledon could be the best chance because of the results I had, because of how I feel, how I play in Wimbledon, just getting that extra push mentally and motivation to perform the best tennis at the highest level.

Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer
Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer (Image via X/Danny)

Djokovic is seeded for a potential quarter-final meeting with World No. 4 Jack Draper. Akin to the Roland Garros draw, he could face World No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the semifinal. And much like the last editions of the tournament, Carlos Alcaraz would potentially await him, should he make it to the final.

If both Alcaraz and Djokovic make it to the finals, they will be the third pair to reach three consecutive Wimbledon finals after Stefan Edberg–Boris Becker (1988-1990) and Rafael Nadal-Roger Federer (2006-2008). Alcaraz will be aiming for a three-peat at SW19, a feat accomplished so far only by Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Federer, and Djokovic.

Karen Khachanov’s Wimbledon draw

Karen Khachanov, on the other hand, will face Mackenzie McDonald in the opening round of the Wimbledon Championships. The 29-year-old is yet to reach the final of any grass court tournament.

Karen_Khachanov
Karen Khachanov roars in delight (Image via Imago)

He will be looking to improve upon his Wimbledon performance, where he had his best run in 2021, reaching the quarterfinal.

Also Read: 2025 Wimbledon Men’s Draw: Preview and Prediction Featuring Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, and Alexander Zverev