Some of the biggest and best ATP Tour players are competing at the Vienna Open this week, such as Jannik Sinner, Lorenzo Musetti and Alexander Zverev.
Sinner, who has withdrawn from the Davis Cup, faces a tricky test against a player who has beaten him at a Grand Slam, while Musetti and Zverev face Stefanos Tsitsipas and Jacob Fearnley respectively.
Other top ATP players, such as Alex de Minaur and Alexander Bublik, have already advanced to the second round in Austria.
However, one star has struggled in Vienna, continuing a period of poor form.
Karen Khachanov has lost four first-round matches consecutively
Karen Khachanov’s concerning form has continued at the Vienna Open.
The Russian star, ranked 13 on the ATP Tour, has not won a match since defeating Nishesh Basavareddy in the US Open first round – a contest that occurred in August.
On Tuesday, Khachanov lost 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 to Tallon Griekspoor, marking his fourth consecutive loss in ATP first rounds.
In fact, Khachanov has lost last five consecutive matches, dating back to his US Open second round loss to Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak.
Following the US Open, Khachanov lost his first match at the China Open to Alexandre Muller. A week later, he fell to home favourite Shang Juncheng at the Shanghai Masters.
The Russian then travelled to Kazakhstan, where he was knocked out in the Almaty Open by Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff.
| Tournament | Opponent | Score |
| China Open | Alexandre Muller | 4-6, 7-6, 6-4 |
| Shanghai Masters | Shang Juncheng | 7-6, 6-3 |
| Almaty Open | Jan-Lennard Struff | 4-6, 7-6, 6-3 |
| Vienna Open | Tallon Griekspoor | 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 |
Khachanov’s next ATP tournament
Karen Khachanov will hope to end his losing streak at his next ATP tournament – the Paris Masters.
In 2024, he reached the semi-final stage, where he lost to France’s Ugo Humbert. Therefore, Khachanov is defending 400 ATP points at the tournament.
If the Russian suffers another early exit in France, his ranking will most certainly suffer.
Furthermore, Khachanov will want to maintain or improve his ranking ahead of the 2026 Australian Open, to hand himself a potentially easier draw when the tournament begins in January.
