US Open favourite Alexander Zverev has a huge chance to win a second Grand Slam of the year in New York and the German is odds-on to account for semi-final opponent Karen Khachanov this evening.
Zverev battled past Lorenzo Sonego and Quentin Halys in five sets at Flushing Meadows before straight-sets victories over Alejandro Tabilo, Luciano Darderi and Botic van de Zandschulp, and he's just 1/5 to reach the US Open final.
Khachanov lacks Zverev's pedigree, but the unseeded 30-year-old has reached semi-finals in both of the hard-court Grand Slams. He is a dangerous, powerful opponent and odds of 7/2 could underestimate his chances.
Alexander Zverev v Karen Khachanov Tips Summary
Best Bet - Karen Khachanov to win @ 7/2
Alternative Bet - Over 38.5 games @ 5/6
Bet Builder - Karen Khachanov to win a set, over 23.5 match aces, over 1.5 tie breaks in match @ 49/10
Alexander Zverev v Karen Khachanov Prediction
Best Bet: Karen Khachanov to win @ 7/2
French Open champion Alexander Zverev has recovered from a slow start to find top gear at the US Open and it is no surprise to see him priced up as favourite for this semi-final clash with Karen Khachanov.
However, the German has had a comfortable run of matches in New York and there is potential for Khachanov to cause him far more issues than his previous opponents.
Zverev leads the head-to-head record 6-3 with all but one of those matches coming on hard courts. He is ranked second in the world with Khachanov now down at 50th from a career-high eighth.
The gulf in the rankings is hard to ignore but three wins for Khachanov – in Paris in 2018 and Montreal in both 2019 and last year – show that he has what it takes to trouble the top seed.
The Russian came through a lengthy fourth-round match against Learner Tien, but he wasn't required to get out of first gear in his quarter-final against an injured Alexander Blockx, who retired when two sets and a break down.
Zverev has had a long season, winning more Grand Slam matches than Khachanov has ATP Tour wins in 2026, and that accumulated fatigue makes him vulnerable against an opponent who should be fresh for the fight.
All five of the German's New York matches have taken place in the evening session, too, so he will have to adjust to playing in mid-afternoon conditions on Arthur Ashe, which could catch him out, particularly in the early stages.
Alternative Bet: Over 38.5 games @ 5/6
Only two of the eight completed meetings have resulted in both players winning a set but their sole Grand Slam meeting at the 2018 French Open went to five sets and a long match looks likely again this evening.
Both players have been serving exceptionally well in New York, with Zverev winning 79% of first-serve points and Khachanov 78%, and that should lead to them racking up plenty of closely contested sets.
Khachanov, for the reasons mentioned, looks capable of at least keeping it competitive and a tight match would push the game count above a 38.5-game total.
Alexander Zverev v Karen Khachanov Bet Builder Tip
- Karen Khachanov to win a set
- Over 23.5 match aces
- Over 1.5 tie breaks in match
Pays 49/10
Khachanov has beaten Zverev three times and their head-to-head record in completed hard-court matches is only 4-3 in the German's favour, so the underdog should at least claim a set in the match.
Zverev has fired in a tournament-leading 72 aces while Khachanov is no slouch with his delivery, and a total aces line of 23.5 looks on the low side.
With both players serving so well, over 1.5 tie breaks looks possible. Zverev contested a tie break in his first four New York matches and Khachanov was required to go the distance in sets against both Felix Auger-Aliassime and Learner Tien.
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Key Match Stats
- Zverev leads Khachanov 6-3 in head-to-head meetings
- Zverev has a 23-2 record in Grand Slams this year
- Zverev leads the US Open with 72 aces from five matches
- Khachanov has a 21-18 record on the ATP Tour this year
- Khachanov leads the 2026 US Open in breaks of serve, breaking 32 times
- Khachanov has lost both of the Grand Slam semi-finals he has contested
Read more tennis betting tips and predictions on site.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
