Zizou Bergs’ last two defeats have come against Top 20 players and Marin Cilic has lost six if his previous seven matches on clay. I am backing Bergs to get through in Madrid.
| Zizou Bergs | Marin Cilic | |
|---|---|---|
| Nationality | Belgium | Croatia |
| Age | 26 (3 June 1999) | 37 (28 September 1988) |
| Height | 6'1" (1.85m) | 6'6" (1.98m) |
| Plays | Right-Handed | Right-Handed |
| World Ranking | 44 | 51 |
| Career High | 39 (October 2025) | 3 (January 2018) |
| ATP Tour Titles | 0 | 21 |
| Grand Slam Titles | 0 | 1 (2014 US Open) |
| ATP Madrid Best Result | First Round (2024, 2025) | Quarter-Finals (2019) |
HTH
This will be the first match between Zizou Bergs and Marin Cilic.
Bergs Stagnating in the Top 50
Zizou Bergs has been a Top 50 player since August but been unable to take the next step.
The Belgian showed he can beat top players, defeating Felix Auger Aliassime and Jakub Mensik at the United Cup and crushing Andrey Rublev 6-4 6-1 in Monte Carlo.
The 26-year-old got to the second round in Munich last week where he suffered a 6-2 6-3 defeat to Flavio Cobolli.
Cilic Continues to Compete
Marin Cilic is 9-8 this year, reaching the semi-finals in Dallas where he suffered a narrow 7-6 7-6 semi-final defeat to Taylor Fritz.
The 37-year-old started the clay court swing in Monte Carlo, beating Alexander Shevchenko in straight sets before a 7-6 6-3 second round loss to Felix Auger Aliassime.
The Croatian was poor in Munich last week. He lost 6-2 6-3 against Daniel Altmaier in the first round, winning 44% of his 2nd serves and saving 1/4 break points.