Félix Auger-Aliassime's campaign at the 2026 U.S. Open ended abruptly Thursday when the third-seeded Canadian fell to Russia's Karen Khachanov 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in second-round action. The 26-year-old struggled with his service game throughout the match, converting only 58 per cent of first serves and surrendering seven of 20 break points faced.
What went wrong for Auger-Aliassime?
Auger-Aliassime's serve was the decisive factor in his loss. He recorded eight double faults and committed 47 unforced errors, compared to Khachanov's 30. Both players struck 12 aces, but the Canadian's inability to hold serve consistently allowed Khachanov to control rallies and dictate play, particularly in the final two sets.
What does this mean for his ranking?
The early exit threatens Auger-Aliassime's career-high world ranking of No. 4. He had reached the semifinals of last year's U.S. Open before losing to eventual runner-up Jannik Sinner, indicating a significant step backward in his performance at this year's event.
Other Canadian results
Gabriela Dabrowski of Ottawa and partner Luisa Stefani of Brazil advanced in women's doubles, defeating Russia's Irina Khromacheva and Anastasia Detiuc of Czechia 6-1, 6-3 in first-round action. Dabrowski, who won her second U.S. Open doubles title last year with Erin Routliffe of New Zealand, will face the winner of Friday's match between Italy's Sara Errani and Austria's Lilli Tagger and American twins Kristina and Annika Penickova.
Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., and partner Janice Tjen of Indonesia won their women's doubles match 6-1, 6-1 over Slovenia's Nika Radisic and Isabelle Haverlag of the Netherlands. Fernandez was scheduled to play third-round singles Friday against third-seeded American Jessica Pegula. Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., was set to face eighth-seeded American Ben Shelton in third-round men's action.
Sources
- Castanet: Auger-Aliassime makes quick exit from U.S. Open after second-round loss to Khachanov. The Canadian Press, 2026-09-03.
Reported from public sources.