The architect of the 'new' Zizou Bergs: "He can now compete with the best players"

The victory of Zizou Bergs against Carlos Alcaraz this morning in the third round of the Shanghai Masters 1000 cannot be explained solely by a bad afternoon for the Spaniard. Behind the biggest triumph of the Belgian's career are months of evolution, a new way of understanding matches against the top players, and a coach who has been able to find answers without stopping to ask questions.

Jan de Witt, a German coach with several decades of experience on the circuit, is one of the key pieces of this transformation. In an interview given to the official website of the ATP, the coach explained how he is helping Bergs take the next step. A step that, on days like today, is confirmed to be going in the right direction.

¡𝐒𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐚 𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐡𝐚́𝐢! Carlos Alcaraz cae en tercera ronda frente a Zizou Bergs (7-5 y 7-6) y Zverev terminará el año como número 1 del mundo. #LaPistaDelTenis https://t.co/vvrPA7iEGz

— Movistar Plus Deportes (@MPlusDeportes) October 12, 2026

The first key lies in the mindset. De Witt accompanied the Belgian in several encounters against the best in the world during the final stretch of 2025: Alcaraz in Tokyo, Novak Djokovic in Shanghai, and Jannik Sinner in Paris. Those defeats served to identify a barrier that went beyond the technical aspects. "The biggest lesson for Zizou was that those players are incredibly good, the best in the world, but they are not untouchable," the coach explains. He added a statement that today takes on a special meaning: "Next time, the goal will be simple: to defeat them."

The great change of Zizou Bergs: from respecting the greats to being able to beat them

This change in perspective has been reflected in Shanghai. Bergs, ranked 39 in the world, did not just wait for Alcaraz's mistakes but imposed his tennis, took advantage of the fast conditions of the court, and turned his serve into a decisive weapon. He won 79% of points with first serves, hit nine aces, and achieved three breaks. Even after losing the lead when serving to close the match at 5-4 in the second set, he maintained his composure to resolve the tiebreak. A demonstration of character that aligns with the path he has taken alongside his coach.

The second key of De Witt's method is curiosity. The German acknowledges that, although he is not a natural enthusiast of statistics, he has learned to use data and new technological tools to identify what can actually help a player. "My job as a coach is to decide which parts of that information can help my player improve and win more matches," he explained in the aforementioned report. It is not about accumulating numbers, but about turning them into concrete solutions.

The third and final piece is confidence. Since joining Bergs' team in mid-2025, De Witt has insisted that progress belongs to the player, although it is also wonderful to witness the transformation from the outside. "My job is to provide direction, help, advice, perhaps accelerate the process a bit, and support him when he doubts himself. But it is the player who always takes the steps," he stated with the voice of experience.

Bergs had already won his first ATP title in Eastbourne in June and has now confirmed that he can compete against the elite without feeling inferior. After eliminating Alcaraz, the Belgian himself acknowledged that he often felt too much respect for the big figures. "Now I feel that I can really beat these players, not just compete against them," he emphasized. The victory in Shanghai confirms that this young man is starting to view the best players differently. Be careful because that change, in tennis, can be as important as any shot.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El arquitecto del "nuevo" Zizou Bergs: “Ya puede ganar a los mejores jugadores”