Karen Khachanov vs Carlos Alcaraz Preview & Prediction | 2026 Vienna Open (Erste Bank Open) | First Round

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Carlos Alcaraz begins his Vienna Open campaign against Karen Khachanov. 

Ranking points: ATP 500

Start date/time: 27 October 2026 at 2:00 pm

Venue: Wiener Stadthalle, Vienna, Austria

Surface: Indoor hard

How to watch on TV: UK – Sky Sports Tennis / USA – Tennis Channel

How to watch online: UK – Sky Go / USA – Tennis Channel

Tickets: Visit this link for the latest Karen Khachanov vs Carlos Alcaraz ticket information

Karen Khachanov vs Carlos Alcaraz prediction

Karen Khachanov was aiming for a second Almaty Open title last week, following success in 2024. He showed strong resilience against Tomas Machac, saving match points to win a dramatic win in three sets. He then took the lead against Alexander Bublik in the quarter-finals, but the Kazakh came back to win. Khachanov’s form has picked up since reaching the US Open semi-finals for the second time in his career.

Carlos Alcaraz’s Shanghai Masters campaign ended abruptly, as he suffered a shock third-round defeat to Zizou Bergs in straight sets. Alcaraz did defend his Japan Open crown a few days earlier, his first title since returning from a long injury layoff. He accepted a wild card to compete in Vienna, his first appearance since 2021 when he reached the semi-finals. 

Alcaraz leads the head-to-head 6-0. Their last match was a high-quality encounter in Doha, with the seven-time major champion coming from a set down to win. Khachanov is one of the toughest first-round opponents Alcaraz could have drawn, and I expect the Spaniard to face a stern test in his opening match.  

Karen Khachanov vs Carlos Alcaraz tip: Over 21.5 games