Alcaraz Crashes Out After Surprise Defeat to Bergs in Shanghai Masters 2026

Zizou Bergs produced one of the biggest results of his career by sending Carlos Alcaraz out of the Shanghai Masters on Monday. The Belgian, who entered the tournament without a seed, won 7-5, 7-6(4) to reach the next round and confirm Alexander Zverev’s place as the ATP year-end world number one.

Talking about the contest, Carlos Alcaraz could not take control of the court, as Bergs remained resilient throughout the two hours match. The Spaniard arrived in China after successfully defending his Japan Open crown with a win over Jiri Lehecka, but he failed to carry that form into Shanghai.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion spent five months away from tennis because of the injury before returning at the US Open in August, where he reached the quarterfinals. His exit adds to the list of big names knocked out of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament, including 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic and US Open runner-up Ben Shelton.

Alexander Zverev is now set to end the season as the ATP’s world number one after Carlos Alcaraz’s early exit in Shanghai. The German has become the first player from his country to achieve this, adding another milestone to a career that includes French Open and US Open titles.

It should be noted that Jannik Sinner’s absence has played a major part in the rankings change. The Italian has been out since his Wimbledon final against Zverev on July 12, with a knee injury keeping him away from competition.

The 25-year-old Sinner missed the North American hard-court events, the US Open and the ongoing Asian swing. He is also expected to sit out the European indoor season and the ATP Finals in Turin, where he has won the title for the past two years.