Azerbaijan Tennis Federation reacts to provocation by Armenian-descent tennis player

Azerbaijan Tennis Federation has sent a letter to the International Tennis Federation regarding a provocative act committed by a Russian tennis player of Armenian origin while competing at a tournament.

"An unfortunate incident occurred at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament. The representative of Russia of Armenian origin Karen Khachanov, who reached the 1/16 finals in the men's competition on January 20, attracted attention with an unpleasant act. So, after defeating US rival Francis Tiafoe with a score of 3:1, Khachanov wrote the words 'Artsakh stay strong' on the camera lens. In fact, it is customary among tennis players to write their heartfelt words on the camera lens, but Khachanov used this tradition for provocative purposes," the letter says, as reported by the Baku-based Report agency.

The letter further said the Azerbaijan Tennis Federation condemns the act of Karen Khachanov and demands punishment for this tennis player, as well as the adoption of strict measures to avoid such actions in the future.

"We hope that soon the issue will find an objective solution,” the letter added.