Zizou Bergs dedicates first Top 10 win to late grandfather, exactly two years after his passing

Zizou Bergs scored his first Top 10 win in seven tries against Andrey Rublev in a moving moment at the Miami Open presented by Itau, as he added the No. 8 seed’s name to the lengthy list of top players who have been sent packing amid early-round carnage.

After he sealed a commanding 7-5, 6-4 victory on Butch Buchholz Court, a visibly emotional Bergs threw his hands in the air in celebration and blew a kiss up to the sky, repeating the gesture as he later waved to fans and supporters.

“Honestly, I don’t know what to think yet,” Bergs said, in tears during his on-court interview. “It’s just a very emotional day for me. My grandfather died two years ago on this day.”

Read More: Zizou Bergs: From TikTok to Top 50 during the Sunshine Swing?

The 25-year-old opened up about the harrowing experience, recalling how he learned the news from his father after his first-round match. Bergs had just made his main draw debut in Miami, and put in a strong effort against Thanasi Kokkinakis before the Aussie closed out the victory in a third-set heartbreaker, 6-3, 7-6 (7).

“Afterwards, I went to the locker room and got the news,” Bergs recalled. “So today, a Top 10 (win) is amazing.”

Bergs took to social media to commemorate the victory, sharing a series of photos on Instagram with the caption: “This one’s for you, Bompie.”

The 25-year-old has long credited his grandfather as an inspiration and major influence in his career. Bergs recalled in a previous interview the way ‘Bompie’ was up at all hours following his results, eager to chat after the match offering analysis and advice. Their dream was to see Zizou reach the Top 100 ATP Rankings, but unfortunately he passed away before the Belgian player reached this milestone.

“What an emotional day for Zizou and the family,” Koen Bergs, his father, shared on X. “We honor today ‘Bompie’ his grandfather, my father, who passed away exactly two years ago. I remember well that I watched at that time Zizou’s match against Kokkinakis... At 5 a.m. my time, I called Zizou in the locker room and told him the sad news.

“Today, Bompie was clearly with Zizou giving him the power to play a fantastic match. Thank you family for the special day.”

Bergs continues to carry his grandfather’s legacy on and off the court. He dedicated his 2023 Tallahassee Challenger victory to him, coming just three weeks after his passing, as he highlighted qualities that his ‘Bompie’ considered core values: “Positivity, combativeness (and) solution-oriented."

Two years on, and Bergs is determined to keep ticking off the milestones as he approaches his Top 50 breakthrough. He’s already projected to reach the world No. 49 ranking after his run to the third round—and he could rise even higher if he can get past No. 29 Matteo Berrettini in their first meeting on Monday.