SHANGHAI: Carlos Alcaraz suffered a surprise defeat at the Shanghai Masters on Monday, losing in straight sets to Belgium’s Zizou Bergs in the third round and bringing his recent winning run to an abrupt end.
Bergs, ranked 39th in the world, defeated the second-seeded Spaniard 7-5, 7-6 (7/4) in a two-hour contest to record the tournament’s biggest upset so far. The Belgian will next face American Tommy Paul in the fourth round.
Alcaraz, who won the Tokyo Open a week earlier, admitted he had struggled throughout the match and failed to deliver his best tennis at crucial moments.
“Today wasn’t a good match from my side. I didn’t feel good,” Alcaraz told reporters, while acknowledging Bergs’ strong serving and ability to capitalise on important opportunities.
The Spaniard said he was disappointed with his performance, which included a series of unforced errors. He added that he planned to return home and resume practice.
“Right now, you know, all the negative thoughts come to my mind and none of the positives, but I think I will take it, you know, the good things,” he said.
Bergs Capitalises on Alcaraz’s Errors
Alcaraz initially looked the more confident player, but Bergs found his rhythm and broke the Spaniard’s serve to take a 3-2 lead in the opening set.
Alcaraz responded immediately by recovering the break. However, his consistency began to deteriorate as he repeatedly sent shots into the net and struggled to maintain control of the rallies.
A double fault in the 11th game handed Bergs a crucial break point. The Belgian capitalised on the opportunity and went on to take the first set 7-5 after Alcaraz failed to execute a volley.
The second set proved equally challenging for the Spanish star. Frustrated by a series of misplaced shots, Alcaraz repeatedly turned towards his coaching box as his errors mounted.
He managed to force a tie-break but could not extend the match into a deciding set. Bergs maintained his composure and converted his first match point to secure the biggest victory of his career.
Bergs described the moment as difficult to process, saying he remained focused on each point rather than thinking about the significance of defeating one of the sport’s leading players.
“It’s a little disbelief and not feeling too much,” he said after the victory.
Alcaraz’s Defeat Shapes Shanghai Title Race
The loss came shortly after Alcaraz’s triumph in Tokyo and interrupted his return to the professional tour following an injury-enforced absence.
Despite the disappointment, the Spaniard said he would try to take positive lessons from the defeat and concentrate on improving his game ahead of upcoming tournaments.
The result also affected the broader men’s rankings picture. According to the supplied report, Jannik Sinner’s season has ended because of a knee injury, while Alexander Zverev is positioned to finish the year as world number one.
Zverev, the top seed in Shanghai, was scheduled to face Alexander Bublik in the round of 16 on Tuesday.
Max Verstappen Wins Singapore Grand Prix for the First Time
Tsitsipas Comes Back to Defeat Fritz
Elsewhere, Stefanos Tsitsipas produced a strong comeback to defeat American Taylor Fritz 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 and secure a place in the fourth round.
The Greek, currently ranked 43rd, recovered after losing the opening set and will next meet Daniil Medvedev, who defeated qualifier Dalibor Svrcina 6-2, 6-3.
Tsitsipas’ victory was briefly complicated by an unusual incident involving Fritz’s clothing. A tennis ball fell out of the American’s pocket for a second time, delaying the conclusion and forcing the players to replay a match point.
Fritz, seeded 11th, managed to prolong the contest but ultimately struggled to contain Tsitsipas, who held serve to complete the comeback.
Reflecting on his performance, Tsitsipas admitted that he had made the match more difficult than necessary before finding his rhythm late in the contest.
“I could have done a few things easier, but I ended up being my biggest enemy,” he told the crowd.
Paul and Other Players Advance
American Tommy Paul also progressed to the last 16 after defeating defending champion Valentin Vacherot 6-4, 6-2.
Botic van de Zandschulp secured another notable result by beating eighth-seeded Arthur Fils 7-5, 6-4.
Felix Auger-Aliassime, Casper Ruud and Rafael Jodar also advanced to the round of 16 as the Shanghai Masters continued to deliver unexpected results.
