2026 Shanghai Tennis Masters: Alcaraz was upset and praised Zheng Qinwen as a "top player"

China News Service, Shanghai, October 13 (Reporter Miao Lu) The singles event of the 2026 Shanghai Tennis Masters was an upset on the evening of the 12th. The No. 2 seed and Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz lost to the Belgian player Zizou Verges with a big score of 0:2. He was upset and missed the top 16.

On the evening of October 12, the singles competition at the 2026 Shanghai Tennis Masters was an upset. Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz, the No. 2 seed in the tournament, was eliminated. Pictured is Alcaraz during the game. (Photo courtesy of the organizer)

This is the second time the two have met in their careers. At the 2025 Tokyo Station, Alcaraz, currently ranked 3rd in the world, defeated Berges, currently ranked 39th in the world, in two straight games.

In the first set of the match, Berges relied on his firepower to suppress Alcaraz, and completed a key break in the 11th game, taking the lead at 7:5. In the second set, the two fought to a tiebreaker. Alcaraz made a mistake on a key point and ultimately lost 4:7. The match lasted about two hours and was the first victory of Berges' career against one of the top three players in the world.

"Honestly, I feel dissatisfied in all aspects." Alcaraz said after the game. "I didn't play the tactics I expected at all and made too many mistakes. For example, in the receiving position, I could never find the right position. My receiving service has always been very stable, but I didn't feel it at all today."

Referring to his likes for Chinese player Zheng Qinwen and his coach Pere Riba on social platforms, Alcaraz said: "She (Zheng Qinwen) is a very top player. And she is coached by Riba, who is also a Spanish coach. I have a very good relationship with him. So I am happy for her team and herself from the bottom of my heart."

"She missed many important events before, her world ranking dropped sharply, and she had to play qualifying matches after her comeback. It is really incredible that she can return to the competition in this way, and I am sincerely happy for her." Alcaraz said, "She is the first local player to win the China Open Championship. This is an honor she deserves. She trains extremely hard and is creating great achievements. I firmly believe that this will never be the last major championship she wins in her career."

After the game, Verges wrote "What just happened" to the camera. He said: "Alcaraz is a famous player. For me, defeating top players has always been a difficulty. In the past, I could only watch superstars like Djokovic and Nadal on TV. I used to be in awe of them. So at the moment of winning, I was still immersed in the emotion of the moment. My inner feeling was: Oh my God, what just happened?"