Carlos Alcaraz's seven-match winning streak ended on Qizhong court against Zizou Bergs, an opponent he had beaten 6-4, 6-3 in Tokyo last year. The second seed lacked consistency during the over two-hour match, while Bergs capitalized on the fast court to secure the biggest win of his career by ranking.

Alcaraz arrived in Shanghai confident after defending his Japan Open title. This was his first individual championship since 2/2026, marking progress in his return after more than four months of wrist injury recovery. However, this recovery momentum did not prevent the Spanish player from another defeat at a hard-court Masters 1000 event.

Alcaraz at the net during his loss to Zizou Bergs in the third round of the Shanghai Masters on Qizhong court, Shanghai, China, 12/10/2026. *Photo: Reuters*

Bergs played proactively, served effectively, and broke serve three times. The Belgian won 37 of 47 first-serve points, limiting Alcaraz's opportunities to apply pressure. He also did not let missing match point opportunities affect his focus.

After winning the first set 7-5, Bergs led 5-4 and served for the match. Alcaraz capitalized on his opponent's dip in form to break back, then forced the second set into a tie-break amidst crowd support.

However, Bergs quickly regained control. He led 3-1 in the decisive tie-break, then committed a double fault giving Alcaraz a chance to come back, but won three consecutive points from 4-4 to advance. Alcaraz, therefore, still awaits his first title in Shanghai, one of the three Masters 1000 tournaments he has not won, alongside Canada and Paris.

For Bergs, the win also helped him overcome a mental barrier when facing big names. The 27-year-old player admitted he had too much respect for Novak Djokovic in last year's quarterfinals here, focusing more on his opponent's reputation than on the player across the net.

"I feel like I can truly beat them now", Bergs said. He believes that experience training and competing with top players has helped him gradually adapt to that level.

Bergs won his first ATP title on the grass courts of Eastbourne this season. He leveled his head-to-head record against Alcaraz to 1-1 and will face Tommy Paul or defending champion Valentin Vacherot in the fourth round, aiming to replicate last year's quarterfinal performance.

Alcaraz became the next big name to exit Shanghai early, following Djokovic and Ben Shelton. His defeat also ensures Alexander Zverev will finish 2026 as the world number one, as Jannik Sinner is out for the rest of the season due to a knee injury.

Vy Anh