Félix Auger-Aliassime fell to Karen Khachanov 6-3, 6-3 in the opening round of the China Open on Wednesday in Beijing. The Montreal native, seeded second in the tournament, managed nine aces but created no break-point opportunities against the unseeded Russian, who converted three of four break chances in just over 70 minutes.
Second straight loss to Khachanov in weeks
The defeat marks the second time Khachanov has eliminated Auger-Aliassime in consecutive tournaments. Less than four weeks earlier, at the US Open, Khachanov defeated the No. 3-seeded Canadian 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in the second round. That loss cost Auger-Aliassime 750 ranking points and ended what had appeared a promising run after he reached the US Open semifinals in 2025.
Recent form concerns for Canadian
Auger-Aliassime has struggled since reaching the Wimbledon quarter-finals. He lost in the round of 16 at Cincinnati to Frances Tiafoe and fell in the second round at the US Open before the China Open exit. His only recent bright spot came at the Davis Cup second-round qualifier in Quebec City, where he won both singles matches and his doubles pairing with Duncan Chan.
European hard courts loom
Auger-Aliassime is defending 1,050 points during the 2026 European hard-court swing, a stretch where he typically excels. He won the European Open and reached the Paris Masters final in 2025, establishing himself as one of the ATP Tour's premier indoor hard-court players. The next phase of his season will test whether he can regain form before the year's final stretch.
Sources
- Tennishead: Why fans of Felix Auger-Aliassime should be very concerned following his latest defeat in China. Published 2026-09-30.
- Yahoo! Sports Canada: Canada's Auger-Aliassime ousted by Khachanov again, this time at China Open. The Canadian Press, 2026-09-29.
- Serve On SI: Karen Khachanov Has Become Felix Auger-Aliassime's Kryptonite. Published 2026-10-02.
Reported from public sources.