Karen Khachanov Defeats Third Seed Auger-Aliassime at US Open

Felix Auger-Aliassime arrived at the US Open as the third seed and a two-time finalist, a man expected to linger deep into the second week. Instead, he walked off in the second round, beaten and clearly diminished, as Karen Khachanov tore through him in four sets.

The unseeded Russian recovered from a slow start to win 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-2 6-2, turning a tight contest into a one-sided dismissal.

Auger-Aliassime edged a nervy opening set, clinging on in the tie-break as Khachanov’s power threatened to break through. The Canadian soaked up pressure, landed enough first serves, and escaped with the lead. It felt like the foundation for another deep New York run.

It wasn’t.

Once Khachanov settled, the match flipped. The 30-year-old began to bully rallies, stepping inside the baseline and ripping winners down the line, especially off the forehand. The pressure told on Auger-Aliassime’s game. The unforced errors piled up, the timing went, and with it, the scoreboard.

From the start of the second set, Khachanov dictated almost every significant exchange. He broke early, protected his serve with authority, and never looked back. The third and fourth sets became a procession: Khachanov striking cleanly, Auger-Aliassime struggling to hold, his movement and intensity fading.

The Canadian’s recent physical concerns hovered over the performance. He had reached the quarter-finals at both Wimbledon and Roland-Garros this season, only to withdraw from the Rogers Cup in Montreal in August with a back injury. This display did little to ease doubts about his condition.

“Maybe he had some physical issues,” Khachanov said. “It’s part of our sport, it’s part of tennis. I’m super happy to get this win.”

Khachanov, 26, didn’t just outlast a higher-ranked opponent; he seized control of a section of the draw that has suddenly opened up. Auger-Aliassime’s exit came hot on the heels of 24-time Grand Slam champion and fourth seed Novak Djokovic’s shock first-round departure, stripping the bracket of two of its heaviest favourites in rapid succession.

For Auger-Aliassime, this is a brutal halt to a season that had promised a steady climb towards the very top of the game. For Khachanov, it is an invitation: an unexpected path into the latter stages of a major, with the confidence of a statement win in his pocket and a shaken draw in front of him.