Karen Khachanov achieved a significant milestone by reaching the US Open semi-finals on Wednesday. He advanced after Alexander Blockx retired early in the third set during their match on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Khachanov was leading with scores of 6-2, 7-5, 3-2 when the 21-year-old Belgian opted to stop the match due to persistent upper-body pain, following multiple medical timeouts. The match lasted for a total of 1 hour and 33 minutes.
Khachanov’s Path to the Semi-Finals
Blockx had been dealing with a rib injury since his four-set victory over Francisco Cerundolo in the previous round, where he had to rely on painkillers to manage the discomfort. In his encounter with Khachanov, he clearly struggled, taking a medical timeout after the second set and ultimately retiring shortly after losing serve in the third. This match marked their first meeting, during which Khachanov effectively controlled the baseline exchanges, expertly moving his opponent from side to side.
With this victory, Khachanov is set to face either top seed Alexander Zverev or Botic van de Zandschulp in the semi-finals on Friday, as he pursues his first major final. His impressive performance in New York has propelled him to No. 26 in the live rankings, a significant jump from No. 50 when he arrived.
This marks Khachanov’s third appearance in a Grand Slam semi-final and his second at the US Open. He previously made it to the last four in New York in 2022, where he was defeated by Casper Ruud, and also reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open in 2023. Earlier this season, Khachanov faced challenges with a record of 16-18, which saw him slide to his lowest ranking since May 2017. However, he has regained his form at Flushing Meadows, defeating World No. 4 Felix Auger-Aliassime in the second round and narrowly edging out Learner Tien in a five-set thriller to secure his spot in the quarter-finals.
Despite the retirement, Blockx has concluded a breakthrough tournament, making history as the first Belgian man to reach the US Open quarter-finals. He is also the youngest major quarter-finalist from Belgium in the Open Era. Furthermore, he achieved his second career Top-10 win by upsetting World No. 6 Flavio Cobolli and has climbed to No. 27 in the live rankings. This tournament has undoubtedly marked a pivotal moment in Blockx’s career and sets the stage for his future in tennis.