Carlos Alcaraz Draws Karen Khachanov in Vienna Opener

Carlos Alcaraz will face Karen Khachanov in the opening round of the Erste Bank Open after Saturday’s draw put the Spaniard against the recent US Open semifinalist in Vienna.

Alcaraz enters the matchup with a 6-0 career record against Khachanov, according to the tournament’s official draw report. The ATP 500 event’s main draw runs October 26 through November 1 on indoor hard courts.

The world No. 3 is making his first Vienna appearance since 2021 and seeking a response to his third-round Shanghai loss to Zizou Bergs. A win over Khachanov would set up a second-round meeting with Nikoloz Basilashvili or Austrian wild card Jurij Rodionov. Tommy Paul is a potential quarterfinal opponent.

Alexander Zverev leads the other half of the draw and opens against wild card Martin Landaluce. Other first-round pairings include Frances Tiafoe against Lorenzo Musetti.

The official draw report identifies possible later-round matchups, which remain conditional on results. It does not announce a playing time for Alcaraz’s first match.