It was a long road to this moment — and it ran through Court 15. Zizou Bergs has advanced past the second round at Wimbledon 2026, defeating Portugal's Jaime Faria 7:6 (8:6), 4:6, 6:2, 6:3. For the 27-year-old Belgian, it is a historic milestone: across his three previous Wimbledon appearances in 2022, 2024 and 2025, he had not won a single match. Now he stands in the round of 16 for the first time — where he will face British wildcard Arthur Fery.
First set decided in a tiebreak
The contest began on level terms and crackled with tension. Bergs broke early, but Faria hit straight back with a re-break to level at 1:1. As the set progressed, Bergs squandered further break points — among them at 2:2 and 5:5 — without converting. The set duly went to a tiebreak, where Bergs showed nerves of steel to clinch it 8:6. His serve was a weapon from the very first game: by the end of the match he had posted 16 aces, winning 81 percent of first-serve points.
Faria fires back — Bergs responds
The second set belonged to Faria. The 22-year-old, who had battled his way through qualifying, broke Bergs early and built a commanding 5:2 lead. Bergs managed one break back, but could not prevent dropping the set 4:6. Faria, who had also turned heads at Roland-Garros this season with victories over high-profile opponents, showcased his returning quality — winning 60 percent of return points on second serve.
Bergs, however, refused to be rattled. After the score reached 2:2 in the third set, he took complete control and reeled off seven consecutive games. The 6:2 scoreline was a statement of intent. In the fourth set Bergs raced to a 3:0 lead; Faria dug in to make it 3:3, but Bergs held firm and closed out the match 6:3. Overall, he won 56 percent of all games and kept his unforced errors to just 29 — well below his opponent's tally of 39.
A career-best result and what lies ahead
By reaching the third round, Bergs matches his best-ever performance at a Grand Slam — a feat he had previously achieved at Roland-Garros in the spring of 2024. That he has hit this landmark at Wimbledon, of all places, makes it all the more significant: only weeks ago he claimed his first ATP title on the main tour in Eastbourne, beating Ugo Humbert in the final. His grass-court form is clearly in full swing. For Jaime Faria, it is the end of a creditable run in which the qualifier reached the main draw — but despite firing 31 winners, he ultimately had no answer to the Belgian's superior consistency. Bergs now awaits Arthur Fery and the chance to push into the second week of the tournament.
