A Stunning Upset on the Shanghai Hard Courts
Zizou Bergs produced the performance of his career on Monday, eliminating Carlos Alcaraz from the Shanghai Rolex Masters in a compelling 7-5, 7-6 (4) victory that lasted just over two hours. Alcaraz, who had arrived in Shanghai fresh off winning the Japan Open in Tokyo less than a week earlier, was visibly off his game, racking up 17 unforced errors in the opening set alone while managing only seven winners. The Spaniard's temper also surfaced at a critical moment late in the second set, though it was ultimately Bergs who kept his composure when it mattered most.
Bergs actually had a chance to serve out the match at 6-5 in the second set but could not convert, forcing a tiebreak. He recovered brilliantly, sealing the contest with an ace to win it 7-4 and advance to the fourth round, where he will face either defending champion Valentin Vacherot or American Tommy Paul.
What This Means for Both Players
For Alcaraz, the defeat stings beyond the scoreline. He was chasing his ninth career ATP Masters 1000 title and his first of an injury-disrupted 2026 season, walking away from Shanghai with just 50 ranking points and around 46,700 pounds in prize money. Bergs, ranked 43rd heading into the match, climbed to 41st following the victory and earned himself a payout of nearly 80,000 pounds and counting.
Elsewhere in Shanghai, Daniil Medvedev advanced to the fourth round and will face Stefanos Tsitsipas, who upset 11th seed Taylor Fritz in three sets. The draw is opening up in dramatic fashion. TennisDraw users had Alcaraz penciled deep into this bracket, making this one of the app's biggest upsets of the week.
