Sebastian Korda’s performance this year has been well below his best, which is understandable given the persistent fitness struggles he has faced. The slightly positive note is that he has been able to string together some wins during the Asian swing. He reached the second round in Hangzhou two weeks ago and made the quarterfinals in Beijing last week, where he lost in three sets to the eventual runner-up, Taylor Fritz.
Injuries and fitness issues have significantly disrupted the American’s 2025 season. Although he has managed to recover somewhat and produce a few solid results, they have not been enough to offset the damage, leaving a major negative impact on his ranking and pushing him out of the top 100 after starting the year near the top 30.
Korda did not play at the Shanghai Masters last year, and the conditions here are quite favorable for him. This presents an excellent opportunity to produce a positive result and quickly return to the top 100. He has played at this venue once before, in 2023, and enjoyed the conditions, reaching the semifinals after defeating the likes of Daniil Medvedev and Ben Shelton.
Zizou Bergs took advantage of ATP Chengdu champion Alejandro Tabilo’s fatigue to secure a rare win in the second half of the year, coming back from a set and a break deficit in the first round in Beijing last week. It was one of only four victories he has recorded since reaching the final in ’s-Hertogenbosch back in June.
The Belgian’s season has also been severely affected by fitness problems, but overall it has been a positive year and, in fact, the best of his career. A strong start saw him reach two finals, in Auckland and ’s-Hertogenbosch, and eventually make his top-50 debut.
Head-to-head: 0-0. Both players have had shaky fitness in recent months, leading to unpredictable performances and surprising losses. That being said, Sebastian Korda is the more solid and reliable player of the two and rightly enters this first meeting as the favorite.
