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Nick Kyrgios Brutally Roasts Zizou Bergs After Weak Comeback to Reilly Opelka’s Paris Masters Criticism

Originally posted on Total Apex Sports | By Fahad Hamid | Last updated Oct 29, 2025 7:21 AM ET

The tennis world loves its drama, and boy did we get a serving of it at the Paris Masters. What started as a celebration controversy has spiraled into a full-blown social media roasting session, with Nick Kyrgios delivering the final blow to an already wounded Zizou Bergs.

Bergs Moonwalks Into Controversy at Paris Masters

Let’s set the scene: Zizou Bergs just demolished Alex Michelsen in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, at the Paris Masters. Instead of the usual fist pump or chest thump, Bergs decided to channel his inner Michael Jackson and performed a moonwalk near the baseline. Now, we’ve seen plenty of celebrations in tennis, but a moonwalk? That’s either brilliantly creative or completely tone-deaf, depending on where you sit.

Michelsen clearly wasn’t buying tickets to this impromptu dance show. The American was so livid he smashed his racquet, probably wondering if he’d just lost to a tennis player or a street performer. The whole scene was awkward enough to make even the most casual tennis fan cringe.

Opelka Throws Shade at Bergs’ Victory Dance

Enter Reilly Opelka, never one to shy away from stirring the pot. The towering American didn’t hold back when he saw footage of Bergs’ celebration, dropping this nuclear take: “I’d rather lose 6-2 in the third than win 6-2 in the third and moonwalk.”

Ouch. That’s the kind of brutal honesty that makes tennis Twitter worth scrolling through. Opelka basically said he’d rather go down swinging with dignity than win while looking like a fool. It’s harsh, but you have to admire the man’s commitment to keeping it real.

Bergs Fires Back With Questionable Comeback

Rather than taking the high road or ignoring the criticism entirely, Bergs decided to clap back. His response? “I rather play than not play in the Q’s.”

Now, if you’re keeping score at home, that’s Belgian for “at least I qualified for the tournament.” It’s technically correct – Bergs did make it through qualifying while Opelka had to sit out. But as comebacks go, this one had all the punch of a wet paper towel.

Kyrgios Delivers the Knockout Punch

This is where Nick Kyrgios enters the chat, and you know things are about to get spicy. The Australian bad boy of tennis took one look at Bergs’ comeback and decided it needed some serious reality checking.

“Weak a*s reply opelka has made finals of master events – before wrist surgery was going deep pretty much all the time real ones know,” Kyrgios fired off on social media.

And there it is – the verbal equivalent of a 130 mph serve right down the middle. Kyrgios didn’t just defend Opelka; he absolutely demolished Bergs’ argument with cold, hard facts. The man has a point too. Opelka reached the finals of the 2021 Toronto Masters and was consistently making deep runs in major tournaments before injuries derailed his momentum.

The Reality Check Bergs Needed

Let’s be brutally honest here: Bergs walked right into this one. You can’t moonwalk after beating a qualifier, get called out by a former Masters finalist, respond with a weak qualifier joke, and expect to escape unscathed. It’s like bringing a butter knife to a gunfight.

Kyrgios, love him or hate him, knows tennis history. He remembers when Opelka was terrorizing opponents with his serve and making legitimate runs at big titles. The American wasn’t some journeyman – he was a legitimate threat who could take down anyone on his day.

What’s Next for Bergs?

The irony in all this? Bergs is scheduled to face Jannik Sinner in the Round of 32, and something tells me he won’t be moonwalking if he somehow pulls off that upset. The Italian world No. 1 probably isn’t losing sleep over celebration controversies – he’s too busy being, you know, actually good at tennis.

Meanwhile, Opelka lost to Corentin Moutet in the Round of 64, proving that tennis can be cruel regardless of your Twitter game. But at least he maintained his dignity, which apparently counts for something in this sport.

The whole saga perfectly encapsulates modern tennis drama: a questionable celebration, some social media shade, a weak comeback, and a brutal reality check from one of the sport’s most entertaining personalities. Bergs learned a valuable lesson about picking your battles – and maybe about keeping the victory dances to a minimum.

This article first appeared on Total Apex Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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