MADRID, April 14. /TASS/. Russia’s Karen Khachanov fell on Tuesday in the opening round of the 2026 ATP Barcelona Open tennis tournament to Argentinian Camilo Ugo Carabelli.
In a match that lasted one hour and 13 minutes, the 4th-seeded Khachanov, who is playing under a neutral status at the tournament, lost to his unseeded Argentinian opponent 3-6; 4-6. Carabello will play in the next round against wildcard Rafael Jodar from Spain.
A seven-time ATP champion, Khachanov, 29, is currently the 14th-ranked player in the world. His best performance in the Grand Slam series was when he reached the semifinal rounds at the 2022 US Open and the 2023 Australian Open.
The Russian player also took home the silver medal in men’s singles at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. He also won the 2021 Davis Cup as part of the Russian national team.
The 2026 ATP Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell is an ATP 500 tournament played between April 13 and 19 on outdoor clay courts in Barcelona, Spain. This year It offers over $3.4 million in prize money. Holger Rune from Denmark is the tournament’s reigning champion.
Russian and Belarusian players’ neutral status at tennis tournaments
On February 28, 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations to international sports federations to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from taking part in international tournaments, citing Moscow's special military operation in Ukraine as the reason.
Following the IOC's recommendations in late February 2022, the majority of global sports federations moved to exclude athletes from Russia and Belarus from all international sports tournaments.
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) ruled on March 1, 2022, to suspend the membership of the Russian and Belarusian national tennis federations while also canceling all previously scheduled tennis tournaments in the two countries.
On March 14, 2022, the ITF also confirmed its prohibition on the Russian and Belarusian national tennis teams from participating in the 2022 Davis Cup and the 2022 Billie Jean King Cup.