Why he may one to watch in 2026
I won’t say that Khachanov, who turns 30 in March, will suddenly be ready to challenge Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz this year. His career-high ranking—No. 8—came in 2019, and since 2022 he has finished between No. 15 and 20. So chances are he’ll remain in that range. But he has gradually made himself a second-week presence at the majors, and with others in his generation—Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev, Casper Ruud—falling off, there may be more room for Khachanov closer to the top. He has a game that travels well on all surfaces, including clay; in 2025, he made the quarters in Barcelona and pushed Alcaraz to 7-5 in the third in Rome. He’s still fit enough for best-of-five. He can still slug with anyone. The game hasn’t passed him by just yet.
Whether or not he makes a breakthrough or a deep run at a Slam, though, there are reasons for tennis fans to give Khachanov some more love before he heads into his sunset years. If you like raw ball-striking power, he brings it on his serve and forehand, each of which sounds like a cannon shot. If you like your players to be professionals, to fight for every point, eschew extra-curricular antics, and live with he result either way, he’s an old school examplar. Medvedev, Kyrgios, Tiafoe—they’ll create the outrages and draw the crowds and clicks. But after so many years of playing the straight man, Khachanov deserves some time in the spotlight, too.
