In a major shock at the Shanghai Masters, second seed Carlos Alcaraz crashed out in the round of 32 following a 7-5, 7-6(4) defeat to unseeded Belgian Zizou Bergs. The unexpected loss not only curtailed the Spaniard's Asian swing but mathematically confirmed Germany's Alexander Zverev as the ATP year-end world number one.

Fresh off defending his title at the Japan Open following an extended layoff due to a wrist injury, Alcaraz struggled to locate his standard rhythm during a tense two-hour clash. The 23-year-old Spaniard joined an increasingly crowded casualty list in Shanghai, which already includes 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic and American Ben Shelton.

Bergs delivered a remarkably disciplined and confident performance, adapting swiftly to the rapid court conditions to break Alcaraz’s serve three times and record the biggest win of his tennis career. The 27-year-old Belgian noted afterward that shedding excessive deference toward elite competitors allowed him to handle pressure effectively during the tiebreak and pivotal moments.

The result propelled 29-year-old Zverev to the summit of the ATP year-end rankings, marking him as both the first German and the oldest first-time player to attain the year-end top spot. The race to number one had cleared considerably after Jannik Sinner was sidelined with a persistent knee injury sustained during Wimbledon, forcing the Italian to skip both the North American hard-court season and the upcoming ATP Finals in Turin.

Zverev, who advances to face Kazakhstan’s 19th seed Alexander Bublik in the round of 16, described the year-end ranking as a culmination of immense effort and persistence after recovering from his debilitating 2022 ankle injury, expressing intent to finish the calendar year on a commanding note.

Source: www.aljazeera.com