Jesper de Jong Beats Khachanov in Five Sets, Draws Zverev — De Jong Tennis
Jesper de Jong turned a five-set marathon into a place in the French Open fourth round, beating Karen Khachanov after almost five hours. The payoff is immediate: de Jong tennis now shifts to Alexander Zverev on May 31, 2026, with the Dutch player trying to extend a run that already included three hard-earned wins.
De Jong Tennis After Khachanov
De Jong’s last win was the longest of his tournament so far. He needed five tight sets to get past Khachanov, and the match ran for almost five hours before he finally closed it out. That result carried him into a meeting with Zverev in the fourth round at Roland Garros.
The path there was not clean. De Jong opened by beating Wawrinka in four sets, then followed with a straight-sets win over Cina after trailing 1-3 in the opening set. He had to recover early in that second-round match before taking control, which left him with enough momentum to survive the much longer test against Khachanov.
Zverev’s Roland Garros Run
Zverev reaches the same round with a very different route. He beat Bonzi and Machac in straight sets in the opening rounds, then outlasted Halys in four sets in the third round. He also arrived at the matchup as the clear betting favorite and the biggest favourite to win the title this year at the French Open.
The head-to-head record gives Zverev another edge. He leads 0-2 against de Jong, and the market reflected that gap by making the German the clear favourite, with one recommendation listing Zverev -7.5 games handicap at 1.67.
May 31 At Roland Garros
Sunday’s fourth-round slate also included Rafael Jodar against Pablo Carreno-Busta, but de Jong’s matchup is the one carrying the bigger ranking weight. He has already turned one marathon into a breakthrough and now faces the tournament’s most backed player with the quarterfinal line in front of him.
For de Jong, the issue is simple: recover from the longest match of his tournament and try to make the upset count again. Zverev has already handled four opponents in shorter fashion, and the next round will show whether de Jong’s grind can keep matching a top seed’s efficiency.
