Key Takeaways
- Karen Khachanov and Veronika Shkliaeva met as children in Moscow and married in April 2016.
- The couple share two sons, David and Mikael, who frequently join Khachanov at tournaments worldwide.
- Khachanov has publicly credited his wife for supporting his professional tennis career through major milestones.
From Moscow tennis camps to decade-long marriage
Karen Khachanov’s journey on the ATP Tour has remained anchored by his long-term partner, Veronika Shkliaeva. The couple first crossed paths as eight-year-olds at a tennis club in Moscow before starting a relationship during their teenage years.
Their connection began with an awkward encounter at an airport luggage carousel when they were children traveling to a summer training camp. Despite an unimpressive first impression, the friendship endured and later evolved into romance.
Khachanov and Shkliaeva married in April 2016, during the same season the former world No. 8 secured his maiden ATP singles trophy. In April 2026, the pair reached their 10-year wedding anniversary.
Family life and life on the road
The couple have two sons, David and Mikael. While Khachanov faces a demanding global schedule—including an Olympic silver medal run in Tokyo and deep Grand Slam showings—the family regularly travels alongside him.
When his wife and children join him at tour events, Khachanov focuses on simple routines away from the court, such as walks, visiting local parks or exploring city zoos. He has also highlighted the comforts of home cooking, especially traditional Armenian fried eggs prepared by Shkliaeva using a recipe passed down from his late grandfather Rudolf.
Khachanov reflected on her vital role behind the scenes when speaking to Sport360:
“She’s helping with a lot of things and always supporting me when she’s traveling with me and I’m thankful for that,” he said, attributing much of his progress on tour to her presence.
ATP Almaty - Karen Khachanov's projected path
Karen Khachanov in 2026
Ranked world no.25, Karen played his last match on the 13th of October when he capitulated to world no.8 Alex De Minaur 6-3 6-4 in the 4th round in Shanghai (draw).
Currently, during this year Khachanov owns an overall 25-21 win-loss record.
