​Karen Khachanov lost to Alexander Zverev in the 2026 US Open semi-finals.The Russian’s bid for a maiden Grand Slam title ended on Friday evening, when Zverev defeated Khachanov, 6-3, 7-6, 7-6.After the match, Khachanov, 30, was asked if he still believes he can win a Grand Slam title or reach a final.Karen Khachanov insists he ‘strongly believes’ he can reach a major final or win a titleDuring his post-match press conference, Khachanov said the following.“I believe, I strongly believe. Definitely, if I wouldn’t believe, I think I wouldn’t be here right now,” he said.Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP via Getty Images“After some disappointing tournaments, a challenging half of a year, I’m here in the semi-finals. It’s not to say how amazing I am, but it’s to say that anything is possible.”Khachanov hadn’t reached a tour-level semi-final in 2026 before the US Open and had dropped to world number 50.Karen Khachanov’s pre-US Open form (2026)TournamentPerformanceMatch winsDefeatHong Kong OpenSecond round0Michael MmohAustralian OpenThird round2 (Alex Michelsen, Nishesh Basavereddy)Luciano DarderiRotterdam OpenSecond round1 (Jesper De Jong)Jaume MunarQatar OpenQuarter-final2 (Shintaro Mochizuki, Marton Fucsovics)Carlos AlcarazDubai Tennis ChampionshipsSecond round1 (Alexander Shevchenko)Jenson BrooksbyIndian WellsSecond round0Joao FonsecaMiami OpenThird round1 (Roberto Bautista Agut)Martin LandaluceMonte Carlo MastersFirst round0Arthur RinderknechBarcelona OpenFirst round0Camilo Ugo CarabelliMadrid OpenThird round1 (Adam Walton)Jakub MensikItalian OpenQuarter-final3 (Alexander Shevchenko, Botic van de Zandschulp, Dino Prizmic)Casper RuudHamburg OpenSecond round1 (Hugo Gaston)Ugo HumbertFrench OpenThird round2 (Arthur Gea, Marco Trungelliti)Jesper De JongHalle OpenFirst round0Ethan QuinnWimbledonThird round2 (Billy Harris, Yannick Hanfmann)Flavio CobolliLos Cabos OpenSecond round0Bernard TomicCanadian OpenSecond round0Terence AtmaneCincinnati OpenFirst round0Aleksandar KovacevicKaren Khachanov’s pre-US Open formHe had lost four consecutive matches heading into the US Open, but as he so often does, he stepped up when the Grand Slam began.Khachanov knows that adding more consistency to his game is key to his Grand Slam ambitions.“I have to bring this level and this consistency more often,” he said.“This is the goal for me right now, and then I will have a shot, I believe so.”The world number 50 was then asked what he plans to do next.“The plan right now is pretty simple. I’m flying back home tomorrow. This trip was quite long because I started in Los Cabos at the end of July. I think it’s almost seven weeks. I didn’t see my wife and my kids. My wife was with me for the first two events, but now we haven’t seen each other, so I miss them a lot,” said Khachanov.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/USTA via Getty Images“In general, I will rest for four or five days and then make a plan with the team about which tournaments