Zizou Bergs defeated Carlos Alcaraz 7-5, 7-6(4) in the round of 32 at the Shanghai Masters on Monday. The match lasted 2 hours and 2 minutes, during which the 27-year-old Bergs broke Alcaraz's serve three times.
Alcaraz, who is 23 years old and a seven-time Grand Slam champion, had been sidelined for nearly five months due to a wrist injury. Bergs previously lost his only other meeting against Alcaraz in the round of 16 at last year's Japan Open.
Alcaraz stated, "The more experience you have practising against them and playing matches, the more it becomes the new standard a little bit. To have this moment, for me it is a little bit of a relief. I feel like now I really can win against these guys..." Bergs noted that he often feels too much respect for his opponents as part of his culture, though it can hinder his performance.
Alexander Zverev became the ATP's year-end world number one at 29 years old, making him the first German and oldest first-time player to achieve the ranking. Zverev reached this milestone after winning the French Open and US Open.
The 29-year-old will face Alexander Bublik, the 19th seed from Kazakhstan, in the round of 16. Other notable absences at the ATP Masters 1000 event include Novak Djokovic, a 24-times Grand Slam champion, and Ben Shelton.
Jannik Sinner, a five-times Grand Slam champion, has been out of competition since July because of a knee injury.
