Alexander Zverev arrived in Montreal as one of the clear favourites for the ATP Masters 1000 title, especially with world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, and Carlos Alcaraz all absent from the draw. Yet the German's campaign ended almost before it began, as Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor beat him 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-4 in a stunning opening-round upset.
For Griekspoor, the victory carried deep personal meaning. He described it as among the most special wins of his career, acknowledging that it had been a brutal season that pushed him to his limits. He admitted coming close to walking away entirely at certain points, but doubled down on his work in training and started to find his best level in the weeks leading into Montreal. Beating a player of Zverev's calibre confirmed that the hard work was paying off.
It was Griekspoor's third win in twelve career meetings against Zverev, and the timing could hardly be more significant from a rankings perspective. The result means Zverev stays third in the ATP standings, unable to leapfrog Alcaraz, who slipped ahead of him the previous Monday.
Alcaraz, meanwhile, had already withdrawn from the upcoming Cincinnati Masters, citing a wrist injury first picked up at the Barcelona Open in April. The Cincinnati withdrawal means Alcaraz is set to shed 1,000 ranking points from last year's title defence there. Further concern surrounds his availability for the US Open, where he earned 2,000 points as champion. Tournament director Bob Moran expressed confidence that Alcaraz is doing everything possible to return to competitive action.
With so much still unresolved at the top of the rankings, TennisDraw users will want to update their bracket picks carefully heading into the US Open hard-court swing.
