Alexander Zverev and Karen Khachanov will be meeting each other for the 10th time today and this time a place in the 2026 US Open final is up for grabs. Below is our preview for the first of the men’s semifinals, Zverev vs Khachanov, with our betting predictions.
Alexander Zverev vs Karen Khachanov
The world No. 2 is having a career-defining season, highlighted by his maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros and a run to the final at Wimbledon. Having reached the semifinals or better at all four majors this year, Zverev is hunting for his second Grand Slam title of 2026 and he’s the odds favorite at the moment.
Karen Khachanov, currently ranked No. 50, the veteran Russian has had deep runs at Slams before but it’s still a bit surprising to see him at this level again following an average season. He is now chasing his first-ever appearance in a Grand Slam final.
Path to the Semifinals
- Zverev’s Run: After surviving a couple of early-round 5-set scares, Zverev has cruised through the second week. He dominated Botic van de Zandschulp 6-2, 7-5, 6-1 in the quarterfinals, not facing a single break point.
- Khachanov’s Run: Khachanov has taken the scenic route. He earned tough wins over high seeds like Felix Auger-Aliassime and Learner Tien, before advancing past Alexander Blockx via a quarterfinal retirement.
H2H
Zverev leads the overall head-to-head series 6–3, including a 5–3 advantage on hard courts. Their history dates back years to the junior circuit and includes Zverev’s victory in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics gold-medal match. However, Khachanov has proven capable of troubling the German on hard surfaces if he dictates play from the baseline.
Predictions and best bets
Khachanov gets to arrive fresher than he probably expected after the way his quarterfinal ended, which could work in his favor physically, but Zverev’s level and consistency all tournament put him in a different class right now. Both of them like to dictate play with heavy baseline power, expect a hard-hitting, physical battle where patience will be important.
Zverev is the overall more complete player and in this kind of match he should not slip up.
My bet: Zverev to win in 4 sets
Find good odds at BetUS (USA) or at Stake where they have a lot of markets for the semifinals.
