Tenth seed and 2018 champion Karen Khachanov will go toe-to-toe with sixth-seeded Alex De Minaur in the third round of the 2025 Paris Masters. Coming into the event, Khachanov’s form on indoor hard courts was not encouraging, as he had opening-round exits at Almaty and Vienna.
At the Paris Masters, he began his campaign with a 6-1, 6-1 drubbing of American qualifier Ethan Quinn in the first round, after which he secured a hard-fought 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 win over João Fonseca in the second round.
Meanwhile, De Minaur had made some deep runs coming into Paris, having reached the quarterfinals in Shanghai and the semifinals in Vienna. In Paris, he got a first-round bye, after which he started his campaign with a 7-6 (8), 4-6, 6-3Â win over Gabriel Diallo in the second round.
Karen Khachanov vs Alex De Minaur Details
Date: October 30, 2025
Tournament: Paris Masters 2025
Round: Third Round (Round of 16)
Venue: Paris La Défense Arena, Paris, France
Category: Masters 1000
Surface: Indoor Hard Court
Live Telecast: Tennis Channel, TSN, Sky Sports
Khachanov vs De Minaur Head-to-Head
After three meetings, it is Khachanov who has a 2-1 lead in the head-to-head against De Minaur. The last time these two players went against each other, the Russian won 6-2, 6-4 at the Vienna Open last year.
Khachanov vs De Minaur Prediction
Overall, Khachanov’s record on indoor hard courts is impressive, as the Russian player has won four titles from five finals on the surface. He is a former champion at the Paris Masters, having clinched the title back in 2018 with a win over Novak Djokovic in the final.
Meanwhile, De Minaur has reached four finals on indoor hard courts in his career, but the Australian could not cross the finish line in any of those finals. His last indoor hard-court final came in Rotterdam this year, where he came second to Carlos Alcaraz in a close three-set battle.
More: Alex De Minaur vs Matteo Berrettini Preview: Head-to-Head and Prediction for Vienna Open 2025
This year, however, Khachanov has not fared well on the indoor courts. Before his two wins at Paris, the Russian had bowed out of the opening round at each of the three indoor events before at Vienna, Almaty, and Marseille. On the other hand, De Minaur has an excellent 11-2 win-loss record on indoor hard courts this year, as he reached the final in Rotterdam and also had a semifinal run at the Vienna Open.
The upcoming match has the potential of being a close one. Khachanov has the better overall credentials while playing on indoor hard courts, but De Minaur has a better record on the surface this year.
This year, with the event being played on a new court, which is slower, the Australian will have the advantage, as the conditions will help him outpace his Russian opponent in the longer rallies.
Pick– De Minaur to win in three sets.
