Karen Khachanov joked about ending his doubles partnership with Taylor Fritz after failing to win the 2024 Cinch Championships together.
While most top singles players don't play doubles regularly, some play occasionally because it can benefit them. For example, the grass season is very short, so many players opt to play doubles as well as singles to get enough playing time on the grass prior to the grass-court major.
That's what happened at the Cinch Championships recently, where Khachanov and Fritz played doubles together. Jannik Sinner teamed up with Hubert Hurkacz in Halle as well, even though they didn't do as well in the doubles as they did in singles when they played each other in the final.
On the other hand, Khachanov and Fritz's pairing at the Queen's Club went really well. After winning a few matches, they found themselves in the final of the ATP 500 doubles tournament but ultimately failed to lift the trophy. In the final, they lost to Martin Venus and Neal Skupski 6-4, 6-7(5), 5-10.
The American-Russian team's effort was good, as they never expected to do so well. It was mostly a pairing made to give them a bit more time on the grass, and both were in a really good mood despite losing the final.
Khachanov gave a hilarious interview in which he talked about 'how poorly' things worked between them, adding that it was the first and last time he'd play doubles with Fritz.
"I would say absolutely nothing, I think, if I’m honest with you, in front of many witnesses… it’s the first and the last time that we [him and Taylor Fritz] play together."
The Russian is a relatively regular doubles player, so maybe he will team up with Fritz again. The American doesn't play doubles as often, but he has a nice profile for doubles tennis.