NOVAK DJOKOVIC LEFT PUZZLED AFTER OPPONENT’S STRANGE POST-MATCH COMMENT
Novak Djokovic beat Zizou Bergs to reach a record-tying 80th ATP Masters 1000 semi-final at the Shanghai Masters. The Belgian admitted he "idolised" the Serb, affecting his performance.
At the 2025 Shanghai Masters, Novak Djokovic defeated Zizou Bergs in straight sets to reach the ATP Masters 1000 level's record-tying 80th semifinal.
In his 11th appearance at the event, the 24-time Grand Slam champion advanced to the Shanghai semi-finals for a record-tying 10th time, defeating world No. 44 Bergs 6-3, 7-5 in the final eight.
With 13 appearances in the Italian Open final four, Djokovic is now only the second player, after Rafael Nadal, to make it to the semi-finals of different Masters events ten or more times.
Bergs told Djokovic at the net after their first encounter that his performance had been impacted by his adoration for the renowned Serb.
Before the two gave each other a tender embrace, the 26-year-old Belgian said, "Man, I have got to quit idolising you."
Colin Fleming, a tennis expert and former world No. 17 in doubles, offered his opinion on Bergs' remark.
There, Bergs told the entire tale. As he made his way to the net, Fleming stated on Sky Sports, "I have to stop idolising you."
I mean, I think that is a little strange. Playing Djokovic for the first time, though, makes sense. That, in my opinion, sums up the contest.
"I believe he simply exaggerated the match in his own thoughts. playing for the first time against Djokovic. He managed it both physically and in terms of his skill set, but he was unable to maintain the level.
It was quite the ride for him. Occasionally amusing, but ultimately costly to him.
As a Tennis TV pundit, former British No. 1 Barry Cowan also responded to Bergs' remarks.
Bergs said nice things. You just have to be honest, after all. According to Cowan, it did seem somewhat that way.
In terms of the first [Masters] quarterfinal, this was undoubtedly Bergs' biggest match and the biggest quarterfinal he has ever participated in.
Playing someone like Djokovic is obviously a good idea, but I believe Bergs learnt enough to hurt the best players. The only question is whether he can do it consistently, which we know Djokovic can. Djokovic still has a strong sense of competition.
Djokovic was asked what it took to advance to this point in the competition during an on-court interview with Tennis TV.
The 38-year-old stated, "It is pretty much everything, just trying to stay alive, to be honest, on the court."
The first time I met Bergs, he was a wonderful man. He obviously has a lot of firepower. Sometimes I simply tried to make him miss the ball by playing an extra ball on the court. That is what took place.
"He played well, and I should have ended the game at 5-4. I was a touch too passive once more. These past few weeks have been extremely difficult for all of the players, who are just trying to survive on the court and are happy to have passed this obstacle.
In the semifinals, world No. 5 Djokovic will play Monegasque qualifier Valentin Vacherot, who is ranked 204th.
WHY DID 22 PLAYERS SUDDENLY WITHDRAW FROM THE 2026 ITALIAN OPEN MID-TOURNAMENT?
Discover the full list of injured stars, including Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu, forced out of the 2026 Italian Open.
At the 2026 Italian Open, the number of players who have withdrawn or retired during matches has climbed to 22, spanning both the ATP and WTA competitions.
By midweek, 17 players had already exited the combined ATP/WTA 1000 event in Rome. Since then, an additional three men and two women have followed suit.
Before the draws were even announced on Monday, prominent names like Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Jack Draper, and Marketa Vondrousova had pulled out. On the opening day of the women’s tournament, Tuesday, Marta Kostyuk and Emma Raducanu also withdrew.
Amanda Anisimova, ranked sixth in the WTA, stepped back before her first match on Thursday due to a left wrist injury. Meanwhile, Victoria Mboko, who is ninth in the world, withdrew before playing on Friday because of a gastrointestinal illness.
Valentin Vacherot, the 16th-ranked player on the ATP tour, pulled out shortly before his scheduled second-round match against Marin Cilic on Friday, citing a foot injury.
Tomas Machac, holding the 41st spot in the men's rankings, also withdrew ahead of his second-round encounter with Daniil Medvedev after an impactful win against Stefanos Tsitsipas in round one.
Arthur Fils, ranked 17th, retired during his opening match against Andrea Pellegrino on Saturday, trailing 0-4, due to hip pain.
Here’s a rundown of the withdrawals on the ATP side: Carlos Alcaraz (No. 2) was replaced by Sebastian Ofner; Taylor Fritz (No. 7) by Zachary Svajda; Valentin Vacherot (No. 16) by Martin Landaluce; Arthur Rinderknech (No. 24) by Aleksandar Kovacevic; Holger Rune (No. 40) by Damir Dzumhur; Gabriel Diallo (No. 46) by Alexander Blockx; Jack Draper (No. 50) by Hamad Medjedovic; Raphael Collignon (No. 68) by Alexandre Muller; Reilly Opelka (No. 74) by Aleksandar Vukic; Arthur Cazaux (No. 73) by Mattia Bellucci; Kamil Majchrzak (No. 76) by Roberto Bautista Agut; and Eliot Spizzirri (No. 92) by James Duckworth.
On the WTA side, Amanda Anisimova (No. 6) was replaced by Elena Gabriela Ruse from Romania; Victoria Mboko (No. 9) by Nikola Bartunkova; Marta Kostyuk (No. 15) by Ajla Tomljanovic; Emma Raducanu (No. 30) by Lilli Tagger; Marketa Vondrousova (No. 44) by Solana Sierra; Sonay Kartal (No. 56) by Zeynep Sonmez; Varvara Gracheva (No. 61) by Eva Lys; and Veronika Kudermetova (No. 70) by Petra Marcinko.
THE "REST OVER REPS" PLAN: WHY JANNIK SINNER IS SNUBBING HALLE FOR WIMBLEDON
After 23 consecutive wins, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner adjusts his schedule to target a Career Grand Slam and Wimbledon glory.
Jannik Sinner has already logged a heavy schedule this year, with deep runs in recent Masters 1000 tournaments keeping him on court against top-tier competition regularly. Given this demanding stretch, he’s taken a fresh look at his calendar and decided to skip the Halle Open, carving out a three-week break between Roland Garros and his Wimbledon title defence.
The 2024 Wimbledon champion won’t be heading to Germany for the grass-court event. That’s notable since Sinner claimed that Wimbledon crown in impressive fashion, overcoming two-time winner Carlos Alcaraz to secure his first major title away from hardcourts. That victory was his latest Grand Slam, following Alcaraz’s wins at the previous two majors.
After Roland Garros, where he seeks to complete the career Grand Slam, Sinner plans to recharge rather than pile on more tournaments before Wimbledon. Without Alcaraz in sight, he’s considered a favourite to maintain his remarkable run. His recent haul includes titles at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, and, most recently, Madrid. Now, he’s setting his sights on Rome, his home turf, where he’s never clinched a win but is eager to continue an ambitious streak of Masters 1000 victories, aiming for a sixth in a row.
Post-Rome, he’ll take a week off before the French Open begins. In total, Sinner has played 23 matches over the last two months without tasting defeat. If he wants to lift the Rome trophy, he’ll need to notch six more wins, then potentially battle through seven more rounds in Paris. This demanding schedule partly explains his choice to forgo Halle.
As for the 2026 Halle Open, fans might be disappointed not to see the world number one, but the field remains strong. Heading the draw is Alexander Zverev, a local favourite who has yet to claim a grass-court title or even one on home soil. With Sinner out, this could be a prime opportunity for Zverev to break through.
The American players are also well represented. The U.S. hasn’t seen a finalist here since Mardy Fish in 2004, but Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton might be poised to change that, especially Fritz, who has already shown grass prowess with titles in Stuttgart and Eastbourne last year.
Defending champion Alexander Bublik, who ousted Sinner on his way to victory and took down Daniil Medvedev in the final, will be back aiming to repeat. Alongside him, names like Andrey Rublev, Flavio Cobolli, and Frances Tiafoe are also set to compete. The tournament runs from June 15 to 21, promising plenty of exciting tennis.
