Khachanov: 'Training sessions with Rafael Nadal are the most intense ones'
In a Q&A session with kids, Karen Khachanov said his childhood idols were his compatriot Marat Safin, from Russia, and the big server Juan Martin del Potro. His most memorable training sessions are with Rafael Nadal: "They are always very intense and tiring. Always at a very high level." Who does he support on WTA Tour. "Daria Kasatkina, probably the most. We have been knowing each other since our childhood, coinciding in many tournaments. Also, our families are close."
On how his serve speed evolved, Khachanov added: "From 16 years of age I started serving close to 200km/h. At 14, I grew from 13 centimetres in Summer. I worked a lot on co-ordination as I had to fit the new dimension. That was the key."
On how he deals with expectations, Khachanov added: "Your country and fans expect something from you, but myself too. There are always expectations. If you are number one in the world, everyone expects you to win every match. That doesn't always work. I do my best in every match and training session. Who supports me, will understand it. There will always be someone criticizing you. You cannot have only people who praise you. You need to get used to it. If you are a top player, criticism increases. We have to take something from it and seek our goals. You need to set goals, there is always something to win. There will always be people who are ahead of you and want to beat you."
from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2yAZlNn
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