Alexander Zverev came close to reaching his fourth Grand Slam final in Australia.
Zverev fought back from two sets to love down against Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open semifinals.
Having forced the decider, he couldn’t quite finish the job, though, as Zverev lost to Alcaraz, 4-6, 6-7, 7-6, 7-6, 5-7.
The German was disappointed to have come so close, yet so far, but isn’t planning to dwell on the defeat for long.
Has Alexander Zverev just blown his last chance to win a Grand Slam?
He’ll be back in action next week at the Rotterdam Open.
Zverev will be competing in singles and doubles in Rotterdam.
He won’t be playing with his usual partner, Marcelo Melo, so who will he team up with for his first doubles event of 2026?
Alexander Zverev to team with Karen Khachanov in Rotterdam
Zverev will partner with world number 18 and former two-time Grand Slam semifinalist Karen Khachanov at the Rotterdam Open.
The pair are used to playing against each other, having met nine times on the ATP Tour.
Alexander Zverev and Karen Khachanov’s head-to-head record
| Match | Winner | Loser | Score |
| 2025 Cincinnati Open – 4R | Alexander Zverev | Karen Khachanov | 7-5, 3-0 (RET) |
| 2025 Canadian Open – SF | Karen Khachanov | Alexander Zverev | 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 |
| 2024 Cincinnati Open – 2R | Alexander Zverev | Karen Khachanov | 6-3, 6-2 |
| 2024 Miami Open – 4R | Alexander Zverev | Karen Khachanov | 6-1, 6-4 |
| 2021 Olympics – F | Alexander Zverev | Karen Khachanov | 6-3, 6-1 |
| 2019 Canadian Open – QF | Karen Khachanov | Alexander Zverev | 6-3, 6-3 |
| 2018 Paris Masters – QF | Karen Khachanov | Alexander Zverev | 6-1, 6-2 |
| 2018 French Open – 4R | Alexander Zverev | Karen Khachanov | 4-6, 7-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 |
| 2016 St. Petersburg Open – 1R | Alexander Zverev | Karen Khachanov | 7-6, 6-4 |
It will be a new experience for them, working together, though.
Zverev/Khachanov isn’t the only interesting pair to have signed up for the event…
2026 Rotterdam Open doubles entry list
- Alexander Zverev/Karen Khachanov
- Alexander Bublik/Hubert Hurkacz
- Julian Cash/Lloyd Glasspool
- Mate Pavic/Marcelo Arevalo
- Tim Puetz/Kevin Krawietz
- Simone Bolelli/Andrea Vavassori
- Edouard Roger-Vasselin/Hugo Nys
- Lucas Miedler/Francisco Cabral
- Andre Goransson/Yuki Bhambri
- David Pel/Santiago Gonzalez
- Romain Arneodo/Sander Arends
- Sem Verbeek/Sander Gille
- Jakob Schnaitter/Mark Wallner
Alexander Bublik and Hubert Hurkacz are another unexpected pairing, as the singles stars join forces in the Netherlands.
Who surprised you the most at the Australian Open this year?
Did they surprise you in a positive or negative way?
Only time will tell if Bublik/Hurkacz or Zverev/Khachanov can upset the established doubles stars in Rotterdam, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action when the tournament begins on Monday, February 9.
Have Alexander Zverev and Karen Khachanov won any doubles titles before?
Yes, both players have won doubles titles on the ATP Tour.
Zverev won the 2017 Open Sud de France and the 2019 Mexican Open with his brother, Mischa Zverev.
Khachanov has just one title to his name, but it’s a big one.
Playing with his fellow Russian, Andrey Rublev, Khachanov won the Madrid Open in 2023.
Neither player has a good record in doubles finals, though.
- Alexander Zverev in doubles finals – 2-6
- Karen Khachanov in doubles finals – 1-6
They’ll hope to improve upon that record should they make the final in Rotterdam.
Zverev and Khachanov have a lot of work to do before then, as they now set their sights on the first round.
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