Russian tennis player Karen Khachanov splits with coach Vedran Martic after 10 years
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The gist
Russian tennis player Karen Khachanov ended his near-10-year partnership with Croatian coach Vedran Martic.
Andrei Chesnokov, a former world No. 9, takes over as Khachanov's coach.
Background
Karen Khachanov is a Russian tennis player ranked No. 27 in the world and seeded fifth at the Almaty Open in Kazakhstan. Vedran Martic, a Croatian coach, had worked with Khachanov since he was 15 and a half, across two stints, and had described the player as his fourth child. Under Martic, Khachanov won seven ATP Tour singles titles, including the 2018 Paris Masters, and reached a career-high ranking of No. 8 in July 2019. The split came days after the Shanghai Masters, despite a recent run to the US Open semifinals.
How it unfolded
- Oct 19, 2026Khachanov announced on Instagram that he and Croatian coach Vedran Martic had mutually ended their long-term working relationship, days after the Shanghai Masters.
- Oct 20, 2026Reports said Khachanov had hired Andrei Chesnokov, a former world No. 9, as his new coach. That same day, Khachanov beat Japanese qualifier Rei Sakamoto 6-2, 6-4 in the first round of the Almaty Open, facing no break points in a match lasting one hour, 15 minutes.
- Oct 25, 2026The 2026 Almaty Open final is scheduled to be played.
Who’s saying what
- Player
- Khachanov said he and Martic mutually decided to end their partnership after nearly 10 years, crediting Martic with supporting him since he arrived in Split at 15 and a half and with their achievements including breaking into the top 10 and winning titles.
- Analysts
- Reports describe the Chesnokov appointment as a trial or holding arrangement before any commitment to a full 2027 campaign, with Vienna and Paris as the near-term tests.
Still unverified
Whether Khachanov's US Open results factored into the decision to reconfigure his team is not clear from the announcement. The Chesnokov appointment is described in reports as being on a trial basis, essentially a holding arrangement before any commitment to a full 2027 campaign.