The Spanish star lost 7–5, 7–6(4) in the third round of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament on 12 October, missing the opportunity to build on his successful title defence in Tokyo the previous week.
Alcaraz, the third-ranked player in the PIF ATP Rankings at the time, acknowledged that Bergs deserved credit for his performance but was disappointed with his own execution at crucial moments.
“Today it wasn't a good match from my side. I didn't play good. I would say it was a really bad level from me, and it was a really good level from him,” Alcaraz said, according to the ATP Tour.
The 23-year-old added that the contest remained close despite his struggles, with several important points ultimately going against him.
Bergs capitalises on Alcaraz’s struggles
Bergs produced an impressive all-round performance to claim one of the biggest victories of his career.
The Belgian made effective use of Shanghai’s fast court conditions, repeatedly moving forward to the net and disrupting Alcaraz’s rhythm.
Ranked 39th at the time, Bergs broke the Spaniard’s serve three times and held his nerve in the second-set tie-break to complete the upset in two hours and three minutes.
Alcaraz believed some shots had gone Bergs’ way through fortune, but he also acknowledged that his opponent took advantage of those moments by following them with strong play.
The defeat brought Alcaraz’s seven-match winning run to an end and prevented him from progressing to the fourth round.
Wrist injury comeback puts defeat into perspective
Alcaraz’s Shanghai exit came after a challenging period in which a significant wrist injury kept him away from competition for approximately four and a half months.
The former world No. 1 returned at the US Open, where he reached the quarter-finals, before rebuilding his momentum with a title-winning run in Tokyo.
Despite the disappointment in Shanghai, his record since returning remained encouraging: he had won 11 of 13 tour-level matches following his comeback, according to the ATP Tour.
The Spaniard recognised that his latest defeat offered lessons he could take into the remaining tournaments of the season.
Alcaraz plans to review performance with his team
Alcaraz admitted that he was not yet ready to identify the positives from the loss immediately after the match.
“Taking the positive things from today is really difficult,” he said.
The Spaniard explained that negative thoughts were dominating his immediate reaction, but he expected to review the match with his coach and support team once he had time to reflect.
He also expressed satisfaction with his recent performances overall, despite the disappointing finish in Shanghai.
The defeat, he said, would need to be put behind him as he focused on improving before his next tournament.
Paris Masters next on Alcaraz’s schedule
Alcaraz is expected to turn his attention towards the Rolex Paris Masters in November as he seeks to finish the season strongly.
Although his Shanghai campaign ended earlier than anticipated, his successful return from injury and title defence in Tokyo remain significant achievements in a season disrupted by physical setbacks.
For Bergs, meanwhile, the victory represented a major career milestone and a place in the fourth round in Shanghai.
Alcaraz will now have to use the disappointment as motivation, with the final stretch of the season offering another opportunity to demonstrate the consistency that has made him one of the leading players in men’s tennis.