Karen Khachanov vs Alex Michelsen Preview & Prediction | 2026 Australian Open | First Round

Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!

Karen Khachanov faces Alex Michelsen in the first-round of the Australian Open.

Start date/time:

Venue: Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia

Surface: Outdoor hard

How to watch on TV: UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN

How to watch online: UK – discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & Tennis Channel

Tickets: Visit this link for the latest Karen Khachanov vs Alex Michelsen ticket information

Karen Khachanov vs Alex Michelsen prediction

Karen Khachanov found form during the summer of 2025 as he made the quarter-finals or better of four tournaments in a row. This included a Canadian Open final, the semi-finals of Halle and the last eight at Wimbledon. This led to the Russian moving back inside the top 10 of the world rankings. However, his form and ranking dropped off towards the end of last year and he began 2026 with a surprising defeat in Hong Kong to Michael Mmoh.

Alex Michelsen has more matches under his belt after a fine run to the semi-finals of the Brisbane International. This included victories over compatriots Sebastian Korda and Learner Tien. He then competed in Auckland but lost in the second-round.

The head-to-head is locked at 1-1. Michelsen won their first meeting at this very event last year, defeating Khachanov in straight sets in their third-round encounter. However, the Russian would pick up a victory of his own later in the year on his way to the final in Toronto. This is an intriguing first-round encounter and is likely to be decided in four or five sets.

Karen Khachanov vs Alex Michelsen tip: Over 3.5 sets