However, after Bergs got a significant break to put himself into a position to serve for the match, he collided with Garin in celebration when running to sit down for the change of ends.

As a result, Garin was unable to continue playing and subsequently received a game penalty, resulting in him losing the match and Belgium winning the tie to progress to the next stage of the Davis Cup.

This situation has caused a lot of divided opinion, with Martina Navratilova having her say on Bergs’ actions.

Novak Djokovic has also been mentioned, with some people drawing comparisons to when he was disqualified at the 2020 US Open.

Chile request three things from ITF following Davis Cup controversy

In the initial aftermath of the controversy, the Chilean Tennis Federation released a statement in support of Garin.

The South American tennis nation have since followed up on this with three requests to the ITF (International Tennis Federation), calling for the outcome of the match to be overturned and to reschedule the fifth rubber of the tie to be played.

Chile’s third request is for a potential wildcard to the Davis Cup Finals in Bologna:

1. Immediate reversal of the match result, awarding the victory to Mr. Garin due to the improper application of the rules and the clear physical interference by Mr. Bergs.
2. Rescheduling of the decisive fifth match at a later date under conditions that ensure fairness for both teams.
3. Compensatory measures for Chile, such as an automatic wild card entry into the Davis Cup Finals, in recognition of the disadvantage suffered due to the ITF’s failure to enforce the rules.

The Belgian Tennis Federation release their own statement defending Zizou Bergs

This situation also resulted in an unlikely Davis Cup press conference from Carlos Ramos, who was the ITF referee for this match.

Ramos was mentioned in the Belgian Tennis Federation’s statement, as they defended Bergs and wished Garin well.

“Tennis Belgium regrets that the thrilling Davis Cup encounter between Belgium and Chile came to an abrupt end yesterday following an unfortunate collision between Zizou Bergs and Cristian Garin during the changeover,” the statement began.

“Regarding the facts, it was a moment of carelessness resulting from enthusiasm when Zizou secured a break that seemed decisive in the match. There was no malicious intent whatsoever. Carlos Ramos, one of the most experienced referees on the international circuit, followed the official rule protocol and made his decision accordingly. It was indeed an unfortunate accident and therefore an involuntary action, which explains why Zizou received a warning as stipulated by the ITF rules.

“Zizou immediately apologized on court and checked on Garin’s condition. He is a true team player with an impeccable reputation for fair play. Due to his style and sportsmanship, Zizou is a well-respected and appreciated player both on and off the court.

“As the Belgian tennis federation, our primary concern is Garin’s well-being, and we hope he is doing well. Additionally, one day after these emotionally charged evers, we call for calmness and objectivity. Based on this, we express our full support for Zizou and the Belgian team.

“We would also like to thank Team Chile for an intense Davis Cup week, as well as the fans who attended in Hasselt. Finally, we congratulate the Belgian team on qualifying for the next round of Davis Cup Qualifiers.”

Despite Chile’s request for the result of the Bergs-Garin match to be overturned, as it stands Belgium are progressing to the second round of the Davis Cup qualifiers to play Australia.

Whereas Chile will drop down to World Group I to compete in a lower level tie that will take place later in 2025.

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