A Lopsided Record With a Competitive Twist
Alexander Zverev arrives at the US Open semifinals carrying the weight of expectation as the tournament's top seed and reigning Roland Garros champion, seeking what would be his second Grand Slam title of 2026. Standing in his way is Karen Khachanov, a player who has given him more trouble than most casual fans might expect.
The two have met nine times since 2016, with Zverev holding a 6-3 advantage in their head-to-head series. Critically, however, Khachanov's three wins have all come on hardcourt, the exact surface at Flushing Meadows. The Russian defeated Zverev at the Canadian Open in both 2019 and 2025, and also beat him at the Paris Masters in 2018. That pattern gives Khachanov genuine reason for confidence heading into Friday's opener on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
For Zverev, the memories of facing Khachanov include a defining career highlight: his 2021 Tokyo Olympics gold medal victory, where he topped the Russian in the final at a time when many favored Novak Djokovic for the title.
Contrasting Paths Through the Draw
The two men have navigated the tournament very differently. Zverev needed five sets to survive both his first-round and second-round matches against Lorenzo Sonego and Quentin Halys respectively, before finding his rhythm with straight-sets wins over his next three opponents. Khachanov, by contrast, has been the smoothest operator of the four semifinalists, dropping just three sets across five matches while defeating a range of opponents including Felix Auger-Aliassime and Learner Tien.
The match is scheduled to begin at 3pm local New York time on Friday, September 11. TennisDraw users have widely backed Zverev to advance, though Khachanov's hardcourt history against him could make those bracket picks nervous.
