Carlos Alcaraz, a seven-time Grand Slam champion, suffered a major disappointment as he lost to unseeded Belgian Zizou Bergs 5-7, 6-7(4) in the third round of the Shanghai Masters. The result simultaneously confirmed Alexander Zverev as the ATP year-end world No. 1.
Alcaraz had just successfully defended his Japan Open title and appeared to be regaining form after a lengthy layoff due to a wrist injury. But in a scrappy match lasting 2 hours and 2 minutes, the second-seeded Spaniard could not find his rhythm.
Alcaraz had previously been sidelined for nearly five months before returning at the US Open in late August, where he reached the quarterfinals. His exit means this Masters 1000 event has lost another big name, following Novak Djokovic — a 24-time Grand Slam champion — and US Open runner-up Ben Shelton.
Bergs produced a complete, composed performance against Alcaraz. The 27-year-old made the most of the fast court conditions, breaking Alcaraz's serve three times to claim the biggest win of his career.
Bergs had lost to Alcaraz in their only previous meeting, in the round of 16 at last year's Japan Open. This time, however, he showed no hesitation in overpowering the 23-year-old at the decisive moments.
"This is very difficult for me," Bergs said when asked about beating one of the biggest names on the ATP Tour. "I often give these players too much respect — that's part of my culture and I'm proud of it. But it partly holds you back when you have to face them.
"The more experience you get training and playing against them, the more that becomes the new standard. This moment for me is a relief. I feel like I can really beat these players now."
'A dream come true'
The upset also ensures that Zverev, 29, the French Open and US Open champion, secures the ATP year-end world No. 1 ranking. He becomes the first German player to achieve the feat and the oldest player to reach it for the first time.
Zverev's path to No. 1 opened up after Italy's Jannik Sinner — who beat Zverev in the Wimbledon final on July 12 — has not played since due to a knee injury.
Sinner, 25, has missed the North American hard-court swing, the US Open and the ongoing Asian tournaments. The five-time Grand Slam champion will also be absent from the European indoor series and the ATP Finals in Turin, where he won the title in each of the past two years.
"This has been a fantastic season for me, winning in Paris and New York, and knowing I will finish the year at the top of the rankings is truly a dream come true," Zverev said. He will face 19th-seeded Kazakh Alexander Bublik in the round of 16 in Shanghai.
"A lot of hard work and effort went into achieving this goal, especially after coming back from the ankle injury in the semifinals of the 2022 French Open.
I'm looking forward to finishing the season in impressive fashion."
