Bergs Beats Alcaraz, Locking In Zverev at No. 1

Zizou Bergs of Belgium beat Carlos Alcaraz of Spain 7⁠–⁠5, 7⁠–⁠6(4) in the third round of the Rolex Shanghai Masters on Monday evening, 12 October, the biggest win of his career by ranking (ATP Tour; AP via ESPN). Bergs is ranked No. 39 in the world. Alcaraz was the No. 2 seed, one of the players the organisers rank among the favourites, and is No. 3 in the world (ATP Tour).

The Shanghai Masters is one of the men's tour's Masters 1000 tournaments, the level just below the four Grand Slam events. The match was played inside the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena and lasted two hours three minutes (ATP Tour).

The result reached well beyond one match. According to the ATP, Bergs's win ensured that Alexander Zverev of Germany, now ranked No. 2, will finish 2026 as year-end No. 1, the player ranked first when the season's rankings close (ATP Tour). The ATP said Zverev will be the first German to finish a year in that position (ATP Tour). ESPN also reported that the loss means Zverev will complete the year as No. 1 (AP via ESPN).

Jannik Sinner of Italy, the current world No. 1, announced on 6 October that his season was over because of a knee injury; he has not played since winning Wimbledon in July (ATP Tour; BBC Sport). Sky Sports reported that Alcaraz's defeat, together with Sinner's absence, confirmed Zverev as year-end No. 1 (Sky Sports).

Bergs used the fast court well. He broke Alcaraz's serve three times and won 37 of 47 points on his first serve (ATP Tour). He took the first set 7⁠–⁠5.

The second set nearly turned. Bergs served for the match and was broken, before recovering to take the set in a tiebreak, the first-to-seven-points game played at 6⁠–⁠6 (ATP Tour; Sky Sports). The ATP reported the break came with Bergs serving at 5⁠–⁠4; ESPN's and Sky Sports' accounts put it at 6⁠–⁠5.

According to the ATP, Bergs won the last three points of the tiebreak from 4⁠–⁠4 (ATP Tour). He finished on his first match point with his ninth ace, a serve his opponent could not touch (AP via ESPN).

It was the second time the two had met on the tour and Bergs's first win over Alcaraz (AP via ESPN). Alcaraz had arrived in Shanghai after winning the Japan Open in Tokyo the week before (AP via ESPN).

Bergs said he had in the past shown too much respect to the biggest names. "I feel like now I really can win against these guys. Not just I can play against them, but I can win against them," he said (ATP Tour).

Bergs knows this event well. A year ago he reached his first Masters 1000 quarter-final in Shanghai, and he can equal that run with one more win (ATP Tour). His fourth-round opponent is Tommy Paul of the United States, the No. 15 seed. ESPN lists that match for Wednesday.

For Alcaraz, the defeat ends his Shanghai campaign in the third round and settles the season's top ranking in Zverev's favour with several weeks of the season still to play.

Zverev, who won the French Open and the US Open this year, will end a season top of the rankings for the first time, Sky Sports reported (Sky Sports). The ATP said the result ensured he will finish 2026 as No. 1 (ATP Tour).