The top seed has been knocked out of the National Bank Open presented by Rogers men’s tournament after just a single match, joining a surprising list of early upsets.
In a stunning second-round encounter on Wednesday in Montreal, Germany’s Alexander Zverev succumbed to world No. 69 Tallon Griekspoor from the Netherlands, finishing the match 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-4.
Adding to the drama, fourth seed Daniil Medvedev also faced elimination, falling to world No. 70 Botic van de Zandschulp in straight sets, with a score of 6-3, 7-6 (5).
Medvedev, who claimed victory at the NBO in 2021 just before capturing his only Grand Slam title at the US Open, was eliminated in the third round of last year’s tournament.
Both Zverev and Medvedev received a bye straight to the second round, while van de Zandschulp advanced after defeating Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard the day before.
Zverev previously triumphed at the NBO in 2017.
In another twist, the tournament’s second seed, Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, withdrew before his scheduled match on Wednesday due to a back injury.
Zverev, who celebrated his first Grand Slam title earlier this season at the French Open, served up 10 aces against four double faults, while Griekspoor recorded eight aces to two double faults.
The German managed only 48 percent of points on his second serve and found just one break-point opportunity, which he successfully converted.
Griekspoor led the match overall, winning 96 points compared to Zverev’s 78, and converting four out of nine break-point chances.
Wednesday proved to be a challenging day for several seeded players at the National Bank Open, as Zverev, Medvedev, and Auger-Aliassime were joined by No. 7 Taylor Fritz, No. 14 Valentin Vacherot, No. 16 Francisco Cerundolo, No. 25 Alejandro Tabilo, No. 26 Tomas Etcheverry, No. 29 Ignacio Buse, and No. 32 Raphael Collignon in exiting the tournament.
