It's probably time to take a look at the schedule," says Khachanov after withdrawing in Cincinnati

Karen Khachanov, a finalist in Toronto last week, had to follow up just 48 hours later with his opening match at the Cincinnati Masters 1000.

The Russian, physically worn out, threw in the towel during his round of 16 match against Alexander Zverev due to back discomfort. Speaking in the mixed zone after his withdrawal, he shared his thoughts on the packed schedule since Wimbledon:

"Overall, our schedule is quite tough. I don’t want to complain, but in these big tournaments, on one hand, we have more days to rest, but on the other, we have a very tight schedule.

Even after Wimbledon, I didn’t have much time to rest before preparing for the hard courts. I immediately took a flight to Canada. It’s probably time to take a look at the schedule. It’s no coincidence that Sinner and Alcaraz skipped the tournament (Toronto).

It’s certainly easier for them to do since they’ve won a few Grand Slams this year, but it’s worth looking into.