Belgian tennis player Zizou Bergs made history on Sunday, capturing his first ATP tour-level championship and becoming the first Belgian man to win an ATP title on a grass court in the Open Era. Bergs defeated Frenchman Ugo Humbert 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the rain-delayed final of the Eastbourne Open.
The 27-year-old, who had previously fallen short in two final appearances, sprinted to embrace his support team the moment victory was secured.
Speaking to his team during the trophy presentation, Bergs reflected on the journey that brought him to this moment. “The results are not there, we keep focusing on improving. And that’s why we’re here today, standing with the trophy,” he said.
It was Humbert who got off to the stronger start, breaking at a crucial moment to go up 5-3 and take the opening set. However, Bergs regrouped in the second set, leaning on a reliable second serve while Humbert’s game unraveled — the Frenchman committed 16 unforced errors in that set alone, a dramatic jump from just three in the first.
Bergs carried that momentum into the third set, continuing to expose Humbert’s mistakes while directing shots toward the sidelines. The approach paid dividends when Humbert sent a forehand wide, handing Bergs a break and a 4-3 lead.
From there, Bergs held his serve to close out the match, with a frustrated Humbert hitting the net on the final point to end the contest.
The two players are set to meet once more when Wimbledon gets underway, drawn against each other in the first round of the tournament.
