Karen Khachanov played his 529th ATP match against Alexander Zverev in the Cincinnati Masters fourth round. The 29-year-old Russian, who previously fought for the Canada Masters crown, trailed 7-5, 3-0 when he decided to retire.
Thus, Karen failed to finish an ATP match for the first time in a career, ending the Tour-leading streak. After 12 years of competing at the top-tier level, ended the run that highlighted his consistency.
Khachanov's story brings us back to Roger Federer. The Swiss embraced 1526 ATP matches without a retirement (he gave five walkovers), setting the record that should stand for good!
Tough way to finish 😔
Zverev goes through as Khachanov is forced to retire due to injury, 7-5 3-0 RET #CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/cntPMjmR8m
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 14, 2025
While the Russian enjoyed a notable streak, what the Swiss did in a physically demanding sport is nothing short of remarkable. Roger set a standard of endurance, highlighting the rarity of a career free of mid-match retirements.
Karen's exit was especially disappointing given his latest form. He finished as the runner-up to Ben Shelton in Toronto before heading to Cincinnati and earning two victories.
However, the Russian could not endure another challenge in that packed schedule. He fought well in the opening set against his good friend Zverev. However, the German grabbed a late break and claimed it 7-5.
Meanwhile, Khachanov started to feel the pain in his back. He sprayed too many errors and found himself in a difficult situation after suffering back-to-back breaks at the beginning of the second set.
Alexander Zverev & Karen Khachanov, Cincinnati 2025© Stream screenshot
Thinking about the upcoming US Open, Karen made a difficult decision and retired for the first time in a career, unwilling to risk more serious issues ahead of the final Major event of the season.
"To be honest, I did not finish a match for the first time in my career. The sensations are undesirable, as the spectators came to watch us compete. Usually, when you do not feel ready to play, you withdraw before the match.
However, I felt discomfort during the match when my back started to hurt. It's the same trauma that I experienced several times over the last couple of years.
I decided there was no point in fighting until the end and making things worse with a Major event waiting around the corner. That's the reason I had to retire," Karen Khachanov said.
