Who is Zizou Bergs? Meet tennis star named after football icon Zinedine Zidane

Oli Dickson Jefford 07 Oct 2025 5:45 PM

Zizou Bergs celebrates after a win.

Few would have predicted Zizou Bergs to sit among the last eight men in action at the Shanghai Masters this year, but the Belgian has defied the odds to break new ground this fortnight.

Saving two match points in an enthralling contest, Bergs defeated 31st seed Gabriel Diallo 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(8) on Tuesday, falling onto the ground in celebration after reaching the first Masters 1000 quarter-final of his burgeoning career.

Now, Bergs has the chance to prove himself against none other than Novak Djokovic, with the Belgian facing the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the event on Thursday; here is all you need to know about the star looking to pull off a seismic shock.

Yes, he is named after Zinedine Zidane

The name ‘Zizou’ will remind most of French footballer Zinedine Zidane, winner of the 1998 World Cup with France and widely considered one of the best footballers of all time.

And, believe it or not, the Belgian is in fact named after the all-time sporting great, as revealed when asked about his name at Roland Garros in 2024.

“Obviously, it’s thanks to the amazing Zinedine Zidane,” said Bergs.

“My mum always thought that I was going to be a girl actually, so she didn’t have any ultrasounds or anything. Suddenly I was born, and I was a boy.”

Adding more insight was Bergs’ father, Koen, who often travels with his son; speaking to ATPTour.com, he revealed his own Zidane-related nickname inspired his son’s name.

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“We have an older son, who is called Maxim, and so my wife was convinced it was a girl,” revealed Bergs Snr.

“We had a lot of girls’ names like Amelie and others. And then suddenly, it came out that he is a boy. And then we thought: ‘Okay, what kind of name are we giving him?’ We didn’t reflect on any names.

“At the moment I was playing football, soccer, at a local club in my neighbourhood. That was during the World Championships and we all got nicknames when we were practising on the courts, and my nickname was Zizou… So they called me Zizou and I said to my wife: ‘Hey, why not Zizou?’ That’s a special name.

“And it sounds good, Maxim and Zizou. So my two sons now, that is a very good combination.”

Recent rise

Having turned 26 back in June, Bergs — the winner of eight Challenger Tour titles — is not exactly your typical tennis rising star.

However, there can be no denying that the Belgian has been one of the most-improved players of recent months, soaring up the ATP Rankings.

After ending 2023 as the world No 129, Bergs was up to world No 71 by the end of 2024, and — heading into Shanghai — sits at a career-high ranking of 44th in the world.

The Belgian reached the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time at the 2024 French Open, repeating that feat at the 2025 US Open, and has also reached his first two ATP Tour-level finals in 2025.

Bergs finished as the runner-up to Gael Monfils at the Auckland Open before finishing as the runner-up to Diallo at the Libema Open in June.

Before Shanghai, the 26-year-old had reached the third round of a Masters 1000 event for the first time at the Miami Open in March.

Shanghai Masters campaign

The Shanghai Masters has proven to be the biggest breakout run of the Belgian’s career to date, with Bergs now into the quarter-final of a Masters 1000 run for the first time.

He started his campaign with an impressive win over Sebastian Korda, and was leading 4-1 in the deciding set when 11th seed Casper Ruud retired injured in their round-two clash.

Bergs then stunned 19th seed Francisco Cerundolo 7-6(1), 6-3 to reach the fourth round of a Masters 1000 event for the first time.

And it was at that stage that he picked up his memorable win over Diallo, defeating the 31st seed in a match that lasted almost three hours.

Victory for Bergs has provisionally pushed him up six spots to world No 38 in the ATP Live Rankings, with a top-40 debut looking more than likely post-Shanghai.

Now, he has the chance to take on four-time Shanghai champion Djokovic, the highest-ranked man left in the draw.

The Serbian was far from convincing in his own three-set win over Jaume Munar on Tuesday, appearing to struggle physically at times — though he will enter this quarter-final as the significant favourite.

However, this first career meeting between the two presents Bergs with a significant chance to keep his dream run going.