Carlos Alcaraz Defeats Karen Khachanov to Open Vienna Campaign
Carlos Alcaraz opened his Vienna campaign on October 27, 2026, by defeating Karen Khachanov 6-4, 7-6(5) before a packed stadium, extending his lifetime head-to-head record against the Russian to 7-0.
Alcaraz Overcomes Khachanov in Tight Second Set
Two hours into the match, Karen Khachanov held two points to force a third set before Carlos Alcaraz neutralized the threat with a sliding forehand winner down the line. Returning to the Austrian capital for the first time since reaching the 2021 semifinals, the second-seeded Spaniard overcame a break down in both sets. Alcaraz failed to convert three match points while serving at 5-4 in the second set, allowing Khachanov to level and eventually force a tiebreak. The world No. 3 recovered from 4-5 down in the tiebreak, sealing the victory on his fourth match point with a forehand drop shot.
The match marked Alcaraz’s 10th opening-round victory of the season. Alcaraz more than doubled Khachanov’s winner count, hitting 36 to the Russian’s 15, and won all 11 of his trips to the net. Alcaraz remarked after the match that he had to run, fight, and sweat a lot, while also acknowledging that he played the missed match points too fast and made a few mistakes.
Alcaraz further stated after the match, It was amazing, to be honest,
adding First round, packed stadium, the atmosphere was incredible. I would say it was a fun match to watch. So [I’m] just really, really happy about it.
Discussing the tight moments of the contest, Alcaraz noted, I was playing great, it was just that game. I played too fast, I overplayed a couple of match points. I would say it was a great tie breaker.
A Familiar Rivalry and a Retraced Path
The straight-sets win preserves an undefeated streak that spans seven career meetings between the two players. Alcaraz tuned up for the tournament by visiting the Vienna State Opera, returning to the site of his breakthrough 2021 run where he defeated Andy Murray and Matteo Berrettini at age 18 before falling to Alexander Zverev. In the next round, Alcaraz will face either Nikoloz Basilashvili or Jurij Rodionov for a spot in the quarterfinals.
Earlier in the Vienna draw, American Tommy Paul secured his 250th career victory by defeating Andrey Rublev 7-5, 6-2. Paul struck 36 winners and advances to face Italian Luciano Darderi in the round of 16.
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