"I can't play like this" - Carlos Alcaraz vents his frustration over specific area that proved detrimental in early Shanghai exit

It is fair to say that Carlos Alcaraz was not very happy during his shock upset defeat against Zizou Bergs in the third round of the Shanghai Masters. He could be heard venting his frustration to his coaching team on court as he fell victim to another early exit in this tournament.

Alcaraz was one of the big favourites to clinch glory in China. After a commanding 6-3, 6-3 victory over Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round, he was looking to turn up the heat against Bergs in the last-32, hopeful of matching his result the first time he ventured to Shanghai.

Instead, he was stunned by Bergs who put in a very commendable performance to take down the seven-time Grand Slam champion 7-5, 7-6(4).

It was clear that Alcaraz was not satisfied on court. He never got in any rhythm and struggled to find his best form. This time around, he would not be able to grind out a result, crashing out of the penultimate Masters 1000 event in 2026 and blowing the bottom half of the draw wide open.

On court, he was not shying away from what he actually thought of the tennis balls used in this contest. "I don't understand a thing. It can't be that one ball bounces and the other slips on me. I can't, man, I can't play like this, man," Alcaraz could he heard saying during his contest against Bergs.

Alcaraz fell a break behind in the first set but was able to restore parity instantly. Bergs then struck again to set himself up with a chance to serve it out, and with his fourth set point had a surprising lead over the No.2 seed.

10 holds of serve later, the 2025 quarter-finalist had the opportunity to serve it out but failed to complete this as Alcaraz forced a tiebreak, desperately trying to find a pathway back into the match. It would only lead to a dead end as Bergs wrapped it up with a decent tiebreak display, sending Alcaraz tumbling out.

After winning the Japan Open, it seemed that Alcaraz was on a roll. He was one of the big favourites to seal glory in Shanghai, a place he has not had too much luck in.

He first competed in 2023, reaching the fourth round before losing in straight sets against Tomas Machac in the quarter-finals of the 2024 edition. He skipped last year after picking up an injury in Tokyo, making a highly anticipated return in 2026.

However, it ends in disappointment. Alcaraz is yet to win a Masters 1000 title in 2026, albeit he missed four of them through injury. It could be the first season since 2021 where Alcaraz does not taste glory at this level. He has only the Paris Masters to compete at, another event where his form is not that great.

As for this tournament, there is a huge opportunity for some notable names in the bottom half of the draw. Felix Auger-Aliassime and Daniil Medvedev are the highest ranked players with Arthur Fils, Learner Tien and reigning champion Valentin Vacherot all out. Rafael Jodar, Casper Ruud and Tommy Paul will also be in the mix with Bergs looking to kick on following that incredible upset results. In the top half, Alexander Zverev is the one to beat, and is the big title favourite heading into the second week of action.