Rei Sakamoto vs Karen Khachanov Preview & Prediction | 2026 Almaty Open | First Round

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Karen Khachanov takes on Rei Sakamoto in the first-round of the Almaty Open. 

Ranking points: ATP 250

Start date/time: 20 October 2026 at 7:00 am

Venue: Almaty Arena, Almaty, Kazakhstan

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 Rei Sakamoto vs Karen Khachanov ticket information

Rei Sakamoto vs Karen Khachanov prediction

Rei Sakamoto came from a set down to beat Gabriel Diallo in the final qualifying stage of the Almaty Open. That follows on from a fine run at the Shanghai Masters, as Sakamoto qualified once more and then pulled off the biggest win of his career after defeating former world number five Andrey Rublev in the second-round. He would go on to lose to Alex de Minaur. Overall, he has six wins from his last seven matches.

He faces Karen Khachanov in the first-round. The Russian’s form has picked up ever since reaching the semi-finals of the US Open for the second time in his career. Khachanov backed that up during the Asian swing with deep runs in Beijing and Shanghai. He will hope to generate further momentum with strong performances during the last few weeks of the campaign.

Sakamoto’s improvement has to be considered, but Khachanov’s superior indoor hard-court experience still makes him a firm favourite to advance.

Rei Sakamoto vs Karen Khachanov tip: Karen Khachanov to win 2-0