Spanish all-rounder Alcaraz is set to face Russia's thunderous Khachanov in a big match early tomorrow morning.

In the early hours today, the final match of the second round at the ATP 500 Doha event was indeed captivating and spectacular. World No.1, Spanish all-rounder Alcaraz, took on French young talent Rwaje, who achieved his first career Grand Slam victories at Wimbledon and the US Open, plus two Masters titles in Cincinnati and Shanghai in 2025, and recently entered the top 60 rankings. This was their first career meeting, an excellent learning chance for Rwaje and a match Alcaraz could not afford to take lightly.

Alcaraz made history at the 2026 Australian Open, becoming the youngest male player since the Open Era began in 1968 to win seven Grand Slam titles, and also the youngest male to complete a career Grand Slam. Yet, despite his soaring success and bright future, some criticism remains, pointing out that Alcaraz can lose focus suddenly during matches, almost like a power outage, showing inconsistency and lack of endurance, especially against lower-ranked opponents.

Furthermore, after rising to fame in the 2022 season, Alcaraz experienced three unexpected losses in 2022 and 2023 when facing unfamiliar opponents for the first time in his career. Facing French player Rwaje in the second round at Doha today marked their first encounter, so Alcaraz certainly could not be careless.

In the first set, Alcaraz did not give up a single break point but managed to break Rwaje’s serve twice, comfortably taking the set 6-2. Just when fans thought Alcaraz would easily continue and clinch the match, the fourth game of the second set took a sudden turn. Serving second, Alcaraz seemed to play somewhat carelessly, with a noticeable increase in unforced errors, gifting Rwaje two consecutive break points. Alcaraz fought hard to save the first, but on the second, Rwaje's shot clipped the net, and Alcaraz couldn’t recover, losing his service game. In the fifth game, Rwaje saved a break point and held serve to lead 4-1. Both players then held serve, bringing the score to 5-2, putting Alcaraz in a risky position late in the second set.

At that moment, Alcaraz admitted he briefly thought about the deciding set. He said after the match, “I won’t lie, it was just a brief moment when I was thinking about the final set. Most of the time, I was searching for ways to get back on track and find the right rhythm again. I’m glad I managed to regain my rhythm and play good tennis. I had to stay there and fight, and eventually won five games in a row to complete the comeback and take the second set, winning in straight sets.”

Alcaraz’s first career meeting with Rwaje was indeed challenging. Although he relaxed his guard early in the second set, which caused him to fall behind 2-5 and face danger, the world No.1 showed his exceptional quality by quickly adjusting, finding a way to win, and staging a remarkable comeback by winning five consecutive games to reach the Doha quarterfinals.

Tomorrow at 12:30 AM, in the Doha quarterfinals, Alcaraz will face the Russian thunderbolt Khachanov. This will be their sixth career meeting, so both players know each other well, unlike their first encounter where surprises could happen. Despite Alcaraz’s perfect 5-0 record against Khachanov, he won’t take anything for granted, wary of being caught off guard by the Russian’s powerful game.

Khachanov is no ordinary player; he is a top competitor with a notable record. Born in June 1996 and standing 1.98 meters tall, he reached the semifinals of the Rogers Cup Masters in Canada in 2018 and later that year won the Paris Masters by defeating four top-10 players (Isner, Zverev, Thiem, Djokovic), becoming the second Masters winner born after 1995 following Zverev. In 2019, Khachanov reached the French Open quarterfinals and achieved his career-high ranking of No.8 on July 15; in 2021, he made the Wimbledon quarterfinals and won the Olympic silver medal in Tokyo; his best Grand Slam results include reaching the semifinals at the 2022 US Open and 2023 Australian Open.

With Khachanov’s physical attributes and comprehensive skills, his serve blasts like a cannon, and his forehand and backhand pack heavy firepower. Djokovic once praised him as having all the elements to win, already a top player with a promising future. However, despite years on the ATP tour, Khachanov has struggled to break through consistently, often overshadowed by fellow Russians Medvedev and Rublev who rose later but achieved more. Still, Khachanov’s deep tennis foundation makes him a formidable opponent for anyone on tour; to beat him, rivals must give their utmost effort.

Tomorrow at 12:30 AM in the Doha quarterfinals, Alcaraz will face Khachanov. Let’s see how the Spanish all-rounder handles the challenge from the Russian thunder god.

(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Seven Color Fan)