Zizou Bergs makes history as first Belgian man to win ATP title on grass
Zizou Bergs won the Lexus Eastbourne Open on Sunday afternoon, claiming the first ATP title of his career. With his victory, Bergs is also the first Belgian male tennis player to win an ATP tournament on grass.
In Sunday's final in Eastbourne, England, the 27-year-old Belgian defeated France's Ugo Humbert in three sets, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, in exactly two hours. The match had been suspended on Saturday during the fourth game of the first set due to rain before resuming on Sunday afternoon.
With his victory in Eastbourne, Bergs succeeds Taylor Fritz, who won the tournament for the fourth time last year but was absent this week. Twelve months ago, Bergs himself was knocked out in the opening round by Brazil's Joao Fonseca.
Record-breaking victory
This weekend's match was the third ATP final of Bergs' career, and his first victory. In January 2025, he fell to Gael Monfils during the final of the hard court tournament in Auckland, New Zealand. A few months later, Canadian Gabriel Diallo proved too strong in the grass-court final at Rosmalen.
According to Tennis Belgium, Bergs is also the first Belgian man ever to win an ATP title on grass. The victory lifts him to 37th in the world rankings. That is also a personal best for the Belgian tennis player, surpassing the 38th place he had reached earlier this year.
Sunday's match marked only the second meeting between Bergs and Humbert. In February 2025, the Frenchman beat Bergs in the semi-finals on the hard court in Marseille. The two will have a rematch on Tuesday, as they have been drawn against each other in the first round at Wimbledon.
#FlandersNewsService | PHOTO © Glyn KIRK / AFP
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