Summary
- The top-seeded German entered the tournament hoping to bounce back from his Wimbledon final defeat to Jannik Sinner, but instead endured one of the toughest losses of his season.
- Tennis has its ups and downs, and now it’s about finding my best level again.” The defeat marked Zverev’s first match since finishing runner-up to Sinner at Wimbledon and brought an abrupt end to his Montreal campaign.
- Despite the disappointing result in Montreal, Zverev has enjoyed an impressive 2026 season.
MONTREAL: French Open champion Alexander Zverev suffered a surprise early exit from the ATP Montreal Masters after falling 6-7 (3/7), 6-2, 6-4 to Dutch underdog Tallon Griekspoor in a dramatic second-round clash on Wednesday.
The top-seeded German entered the tournament hoping to bounce back from his Wimbledon final defeat to Jannik Sinner, but instead endured one of the toughest losses of his season. Despite claiming a tightly contested opening-set tiebreak, Zverev struggled to maintain his rhythm as Griekspoor mounted an impressive comeback.
The world No. 69 displayed remarkable composure and consistency, taking control in the second set before sealing the biggest victory of his campaign after two hours and 34 minutes of intense tennis.
A visibly disappointed Zverev did not hide his frustration after the match.
“I didn’t expect to play well, but I also didn’t expect to play this badly,” the German admitted. “This was probably the worst match of the season. Tennis has its ups and downs, and now it’s about finding my best level again.”
The defeat marked Zverev’s first match since finishing runner-up to Sinner at Wimbledon and brought an abrupt end to his Montreal campaign.
Griekspoor’s reward is a place in the third round, where he will meet the winner of the match between Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi and Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan.
The tournament had already witnessed another setback for the top seeds after second seed Felix Auger-Aliassime withdrew before his opening match because of a back injury sustained during training earlier this week.
Despite the disappointing result in Montreal, Zverev has enjoyed an impressive 2026 season. He reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open, Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Munich, finished runner-up in Madrid, and captured his maiden Grand Slam singles title at the French Open.
However, his latest defeat serves as a reminder that even the game’s biggest stars can face unexpected setbacks as the North American hard-court season gathers momentum.
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