Sports

Bergs Upsets Alcaraz in Shanghai, Zverev Secures Year‑End No.1 Ranking

By Reuters

In a surprising 7‑5 7‑6(4) loss in the Shanghai Masters round of 32, unseeded Belgian Zizou Bergs defeated seven‑time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz. The match, which lasted two hours and two minutes, confirmed Alexander Zverev as the ATP’s year‑end world number one. Alcaraz, who had recently defended his Japan Open title and returned from a nearly five‑month wrist injury layoff, was unable to find his rhythm. He had been sidelined before the US Open in late August and reached the quarterfinals upon his return. Bergs, 27, broke Alcaraz’s serve three times and delivered a composed all‑court performance in the quick conditions. The Belgian had lost his only previous meeting with Alcaraz, falling to the Spaniard in the last 16 of last year’s Japan Open, but showed no signs of intimidation. “This is something that has been very tough for me,” Bergs said. “I often have too much respect for these guys, which is part of my culture and I’m proud of that. But it gets a little bit in the way when you have to play them… 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.” Alcaraz admitted he was below his best, citing many mistakes and a lack of comfort with his shots. “I didn’t play the way that I wanted to play. A lot of mistakes. I didn’t find a good position on the return,” he said. The upset also secured Zverev’s place at the top of the rankings, making him the first German and the oldest first‑time player to achieve the feat. Zverev’s rise to No.1 followed Italian Jannik Sinner’s absence after a knee injury that kept him from the North American hard‑court tournaments, the US Open and the Asian events. The five‑time major winner will skip the European indoor season and the ATP Finals in Turin, where he has won the title in each of the last two years. “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,” Zverev said. He will face Kazakhstan’s 19th seed Alexander Bublik in the round of 16 in Shanghai.