Bergs stuns Alcaraz in Shanghai, guaranteeing Zverev year-end world No. 1
Zizou Bergs beat Carlos Alcaraz 7-5, 7-6(4) in the Shanghai Masters third round on Monday, 12 October, confirming Alexander Zverev as ATP world number one at the end of 2026. Zverev will be the first German and the oldest first-time player to finish a season at the top.
Alcaraz eliminated in straight sets
Carlos Alcaraz lost 7-5, 7-6(4) to Zizou Bergs in the third round of the Shanghai Masters on Monday, 12 October, ending the second seed's campaign at the tournament. Bergs, a 27-year-old Belgian ranked 39th in the world, broke Alcaraz's serve three times in a match lasting two hours and two minutes. Alcaraz had won back the first break in the first set but was uncharacteristically off target, sending a series of shots into the net. He double-faulted to give Bergs a critical break point in the 11th game, and he lost the first set when a volley fell short. Alcaraz forced a tiebreak in the second set, but Bergs closed out the match on his first match point.
- Sinner beats Zverev in the Wimbledon final, the last time Sinner played
- Alcaraz returns at the US Open after nearly five months out and reaches the quarter-finals
- Bergs beats Alcaraz 7-5, 7-6(4) in the Shanghai Masters third round, confirming Zverev as year-end No. 1
Bergs's composed performance
Bergs thrived in the quick conditions and produced what was described as a composed all-court performance. He beat a player who had won seven Grand Slam titles and had defended his Japan Open title shortly before arriving in Shanghai. Bergs had lost their only previous meeting, in the last 16 of last year's Japan Open. Asked about beating one of the biggest names on the ATP Tour, he said the win had been hard to achieve.
This is something that has been very tough for me.
Alcaraz's frustration on court
Alcaraz vented during the changeovers, and his outburst was caught on court. Italian and Spanish reports say he complained that the bounce was inconsistent, that one ball bounced high and the next one slid away, and that he could not play on instinct because of the surface and the balls. His coach, Samuel Lopez, urged him to find solutions and to play with joy, telling him that if he had to make mistakes he should make good ones. After the first set Alcaraz said he had not felt well.
Today wasn't a good match from my side. I didn't feel good.
Alcaraz said he was disappointed by a loss full of errors, which came a week after he won the Tokyo Open. He added that he would return home and go straight into practice. He has still never won a title at Shanghai, where his best result is the quarter-finals in 2024.
Zverev confirmed as year-end No. 1
The result guarantees that Alexander Zverev finishes 2026 as ATP world number one, the first German to do so and the oldest first-time player to reach the top at year's end. Zverev won the French Open and the US Open this year and reached the Wimbledon final, which Jannik Sinner won on 12 July. Sinner has not played since that final because of a knee injury, and he will miss the European indoor season and the ATP Finals in Turin. Europa Press calculated that Zverev, at 29 years and 217 days on 23 November, would surpass Andre Agassi's record of 29 years and 214 days in 1999 and Andy Murray's 29 years and 197 days in 2016.
It's been a fantastic season for me winning in Paris and New York and knowing that I will finish the year on top of the rankings is just a dream come true.
What comes next
Bergs will play Tommy Paul next. Zverev, the top seed in Shanghai, will face Alexander Bublik in the last 16 on Tuesday, 13 October. Alcaraz, currently ranked third in the world, will return to Spain after leaving the Asian swing early. Zverev's ranking position is now settled for the end of the year.
