Zizou Bergs Shocks Carlos Alcaraz at Shanghai Masters, Adding to List of 2026 Defeats

Zizou Bergs, ranked 39th globally, pulled off a surprising victory against seven-time Grand Slam winner Carlos Alcaraz at the Shanghai Masters. The Belgian player won 7-5, 7-6, delivering nine aces and capturing 79% of his first-serve points in China.

This marks Bergs’ second meeting with Alcaraz, leveling their head-to-head record at 1-1. Bergs will now face either Tommy Paul or defending champion Valentin Vacherot in the fourth round. This loss makes Bergs the fifth opponent to defeat Alcaraz on the ATP Tour this year.

Players Who Have Defeated Carlos Alcaraz in 2026

• Daniil Medvedev: After winning the Australian Open and Qatar Open, Alcaraz’s first loss of 2026 came at Indian Wells. Prior to falling to Medvedev, the Spaniard had beaten Grigor Dimitrov, Arthur Rinderknech, Casper Ruud, and Cameron Norrie. Medvedev was on a nine-match winning streak at the time. Post-match, Medvedev said, “Carlos is an outstanding player, it’s very tough to play against him and I lost to him many times. To be honest, probably I will play many more times against him and lose many more.” Medvedev later lost the final to Jannik Sinner.
• Sebastian Korda: Korda caused a major upset at the Miami Open by defeating Alcaraz in the third round, winning 6-3, 5-7, 6-4. At that time, Korda was ranked 36th. Alcaraz commented after the match that despite the loss, he felt he was still on the right path and was starting to feel better in tournaments.
• Jannik Sinner: The Monte Carlo Masters final in 2026 was not only for the title but also the world number one ranking. Sinner won the match and took over the top spot from Alcaraz. It was Sinner’s third Masters 1000 title of the season out of five consecutive wins. Sinner remarked on the windy conditions and expressed happiness about reclaiming number one and winning on a surface new to him.
• Ben Shelton: The young American star beat Alcaraz in an epic US Open quarter-final battle last month. Shelton had lost their previous three encounters but triumphed this time 6-7, 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Shelton described the match as a physical war and called Alcaraz one of the greatest champions already at just 23 years old. Shelton advanced to his first major final after beating Frances Tiafoe in the semi-finals but ultimately fell to world number two Alexander Zverev in the final.