Bergs Stuns Alcaraz to Reach Shanghai Masters Fourth Round

Belgian qualifier Zizou Bergs produced the biggest victory of his career on Sunday, eliminating second seed and world number one Carlos Alcaraz from the Shanghai Masters. Bergs secured a 7-5, 7-6 (7-4) win, overcoming a critical moment in the second set where he failed to serve out the match at 6-5 before reclaiming control in the tie-break.

The defeat deals a significant blow to Alcaraz’s campaign, as he was aiming for his ninth ATP Masters 1000 title and his first of a challenging 2026 season marred by injury. The Spanish star had recently claimed the Japan Open in Tokyo last Tuesday but could not advance past the third round in Shanghai.

Bergs will now progress to face either defending champion Valentin Vacherot or American Tommy Paul in the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, 2019 champion Daniil Medvedev also moved into the fourth round after securing a straight-sets victory over qualifier Dalibor Svrcina. Medvedev, who defaulted from last week’s China Open semi-final against Novak Djokovic after striking a spectator with a ball, is set to play Stefanos Tsitsipas next after the Greek defeated 11th seed Taylor Fritz.

Elsewhere at the Wuhan Open, Britain’s Sonay Kartal continued her promising return from injury with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over top-50 opponent Anhelina Kalinina. Kartal, competing in her first WTA event since returning from a six-month absence due to a stress fracture in her back, will face ninth seed Belinda Bencic in the second round.

“I’ve thrown myself in the deep end, playing my first few events against the best players in the world,” Kartal said. “It’s definitely a challenge, but I’m happy with the level that I’ve managed to produce. There is still a long way to go to get back to where I left off, but it’s looking positive.” The tournaments continue until October 18.