Carlos Alcaraz vs Karen Khachanov — full preview, head-to-head breakdown and prediction for their FIRST ROUND clash at the 2026 Erste Bank Open in Vienna. One of the most brutal opening draws of the season: a recent US Open semifinalist, in round one.
Carlos Alcaraz is the second seed and he's here almost by accident. He added Vienna LATE to his schedule after his shock 7-5, 7-6(4) loss to World No. 39 Zizou Bergs in Shanghai, wanting court time before the Paris Masters and the ATP Finals — and feeling fresh after the right wrist injury that kept him out for more than four months. It's his first appearance in Vienna since 2021, when he reached the SEMIFINALS on debut as a teenager.
Karen Khachanov is about as unwelcome a first-round opponent as the draw could have produced. The former top-10 player reached the US OPEN SEMIFINALS just weeks ago — only his third Grand Slam semifinal — before losing to Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6(7), 7-6(6). He also took Alcaraz to four sets in the Australian Open quarterfinals this year, dropping just one set.
But the head-to-head is stark: ALCARAZ LEADS 6-0. Khachanov has never beaten him.
Alcaraz's wider season has been strange — the wrist injury, the US Open quarterfinal exit to Ben Shelton at 3:33 a.m., the Tokyo title defence that he said he wasn't sure would ever come, then the Bergs upset. With Zverev already confirmed as year-end World No. 1, this is about form and Turin rather than rankings. His projected route runs through Tommy Paul or Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals and possibly Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals.
🎾 IN THIS VIDEO
• How Alcaraz has won all six meetings
• Whether Khachanov's US Open form makes this different
• What Alcaraz actually needs from this week before Turin
• Prediction and predicted scoreline
📊 MATCH INFO
Tournament: 2026 Erste Bank Open, Vienna (ATP 500)
Round: First Round — Singles
Players: Carlos Alcaraz (ESP, 2nd seed) vs Karen Khachanov
Head-to-head: Alcaraz leads 6-0
Dates: October 26 – November 1, 2026
Surface: Indoor hard
Venue: Wiener Stadthalle, Vienna
💬 Does Khachanov finally get one? Predicted scoreline in the comments.
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