Carlos Alcaraz fell to Zizou Bergs in straight sets at the Shanghai Masters on Monday, interrupting the former world No 1’s in-form return to the professional Tour after being sidelined for months by injury.
The 39th-ranked Belgian beat the second-seeded Spanish star 7-5, 7-6 (7/4) in the third round to land the tournament’s biggest upset yet, and will play Tommy Paul next.
“Today wasn’t a good match from my side. I didn’t feel good,” Alcaraz told reporters, crediting Bergs for taking chances and serving big.
“In a few important moments I didn’t play my best, and I would say there were a few moments that he was lucky,” the 23-year-old said of their two-hour battle.
Alcaraz said he was “disappointed” by a loss riddled with errors, which came a week after he won the Tokyo Open, adding he would return home and hit 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.
His loss also ensures current world No 2 Alexander Zverev, the reigning French Open and US Open champion, will replace Jannik Sinner as world No 1 by the year’s end, with the Italian’s season over due to a knee injury.
Zverev, the top seeded player in Shanghai, will face Alexander Bublik in the last 16 on Tuesday.
Alcaraz
