By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, October 12, 2026
Photo credit: United Cup
Zizou Bergs blasted an exclamation point ace to punctuate a powerful statement.
On match point, Bergs pounded an ace down the T, sealing a 7-5, 7-6(4) upset of Carlos Alcaraz in style to burst into the Rolex Shanghai Masters round of 16 with his biggest win.
The 39th-ranked Bergs out-served Alcaraz becoming the lowest-ranked man to beat the third-ranked Spaniard since his compatriot, world No. 55 David Goffin, upset Alcaraz at the 2025 Miami Open.
“I think that we prepared with what was kind of happening on court today,” Bergs told the media in Shanghai. “But obviously you need to execute the game plan. If you execute well you have a good chance. Then also looking a bit what he’s going to do.
“I think, yeah, you know, you need to take your opportunities that come. And if you do so, if you’re efficient there, then you can win the match. So, game plan is one thing, but also execution and a little bit of luck when it has to fall is another thing that happened.”
Bergs snapped the Tokyo champion’s seven-match winning streak in a masterful two hour, two-minute performance. Alcaraz said this was a case of extremes colliding: He played “really bad”, while Bergs played “really good.”
“Well, today it wasn’t a good match for my side. I didn’t play good,” Alcaraz told the media in Shanghai. “I would say it was a really bad level for me, and it was a really good level from him.
“I would say, even like that, I think it was a close match. I would say, in few important moments I didn’t play my best. I could say there were a few moments that he was lucky as well, that’s what I think.
“You know, some returns, some shots he hit it with the frame, it went in, and he just went into the point again. He made the most of those moments because after that, I would say, lucky shot, he played a really good point. He played a really good level in some moments.”
It’s not only Bergs’ biggest win, by ranking, but it also ensures reigning Roland Garros and US Open champion Alexander Zverev surpasses injured Jannik Sinner to clinch the season-ending world No. 1 ranking for the first time.
It’s only the fifth loss of the season for Alcaraz, who was previously beaten by Ben Shelton at the US Open, Jannik Sinner in the Monte-Carlo final, Sebastian Korda in Miami and Daniil Medvedev in Indian Wells.
Though Alcaraz fought hard, he struggled to solve Bergs’ wide serve on the deuce side, lost control of his vaunted forehand on some pivotal points and saw Bergs serve with authority hitting a serve winner for match point then drill his ninth ace to end it.
Overall, Bergs smacked 24 winners—eight more than the Australian Open champion—and enjoy a 12 to 4 edge in forehand winners.
The pair traded breaks in the fifth and sixth games.
In a sloppy 11th game, Alcaraz clanked a double fault and scattered two forehand errors gift-wrapping the break and a 6-5 lead to Bergs after 49 minutes of play.
In a tense 12th game, Alcaraz saved three set points.
Launching himself up into a twisting serve, Bergs converted his fourth set point when Alcaraz netted a forehand dropper. Bergs was the more consistent player, winning the 58-minute opening set.
Holding a one-set lead, Bergs left court for about a seven-and-a-half minute clothing changes as Alcaraz stood near the back wall chatting with coach Samuel Lopez waiting for the Belgian’s return.
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Both men protected serve with vigilance throughout the second set until Alcaraz’s forehand failed him in the 11th game. Alcaraz missed a pair of forehands to face break point then jerked a forehand wide ceding the break and a 6-5 lead.
Bergs served for the match, but Alcaraz was not done.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion made a tremendous forehand get, then stuck a low backhand slice drawing a Bergs error to break back and force the tiebreaker.
Still, Bergs banged a heavy serve down the T to go up 4-2 before double-faulting to put Alcaraz back on serve in the tie break.
Self-sabotage cost Alcaraz who committed an error to fall behind 4-5.
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“To be honest, I didn’t play the way that I wanted to play, a lot of mistakes,” Alcaraz said. “I didn’t find a good position on the return. For example, I was returning pretty well. Today I didn’t find a good one.
“Obviously credit to him. I would say he serves really, really well.
“But, you know, when I got into the rhythm, when I got into the point, I made a lot of mistakes. I wasn’t feeling comfortable with the shots. So, I’m really disappointed from today’s match, because I didn’t find the solution. I would say I just made a lot of unforced errors.”
The 6’1” Bergs sealed a superb win with the service winner and his ninth ace drawing praise from Alcaraz at net and leaving fans with a question of his own.
“What just happened???” Bergs wrote on courtside camera lens, reaching the round of 16 a year after his Shanghai quarterfinal surge.
“Carlos is a hell of a name, and for me it’s been a little struggle. You see these big players on TV, also in the past, you know, Djokovic, Rafa, you have the chance to play them, and then you can play them, but you also have to be ready to beat them,” Bergs said. “I’ve always been like, Ah, too much respect for them. So that’s why, when it happened, it was more I was so much in the moment still that I hadn’t too much energy to celebrate like crazy.
“I was just more like, Oh, what the hell’s going on? So that’s why I wrote down, like, what happens.”
