Alexander Zverev has had a forgettable start to his hard-court season. After reaching his maiden Wimbledon final last month, there were a lot of expectations around the German coming into the Canadian Open. But upon being handed a shocking 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 first-round defeat by Tallon Griekspoor, Zverev cited quite a surprising reason for his loss.

He felt that the balls in use were too difficult to handle and contributed significantly to his defeat, admitting that his performance wasn’t up to the mark.

“With the balls, there [are] going to be some strange results that you maybe don’t expect,” he said after the defeat. “The balls are just not controllable. It’s the same every year. It’s nothing new. The Wilson balls are difficult, but again, that’s not the reason I lost today. I think I’m just not in form yet that I was the last couple of months. I need to train, I need to practice, and to find that rhythm again.”

This isn’t the first time that Zverev has called out the quality of the tennis balls. He had previously claimed that the balls have gotten a lot slower because the companies are using a different rubber material to manufacture them.

Get the Break Point Newsletter. Daily tennis news spanning the WTA, ATP, and Grand Slams — from on-court action to off-court storylines.

“They’ve gotten a lot slower,” he said in November 2024. “Because of Covid, the companies tried to cut costs, and they’re using a different rubber material now. They’re using a different material for the tennis balls, which makes the tennis balls between 30 per cent and 60 per cent slower on average. They don’t last as long, they change from one batch to another, they lint more.”

Coming back, Zverev was considered one of the favorites to win the Canadian Open because of the already weakened field, with Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Novak Djokovic having withdrawn from the event.

The top seed also had a 9-2 advantage over Griekspoor in the H2H record. But Griekspoor delivered one of his best performances of the season to claim his third victory in the matchup. After losing the first set in a tiebreaker, the 30-year-old made an impressive comeback in the second set.

He went on to gain a double break over Zverev and leveled the match in convincing fashion. He then had a strong start to the decider as well and raced to a 4-2 lead. But the nerves got the better of Griekspoor as he lost his serve and Zverev soon leveled the set at 4-4.

However, Griekspoor regained his composure and gained a decisive break. He eventually wrapped up the match in two hours and 33 minutes. A major reason behind the Dutchman’s victory was his performance at the net, winning 17 of the 18 points at stake. He also struck 20 winners in what was a remarkable display.

While Zverev may feel hard done by the balls that were in use, it is clear that he needs to improve his performance. But, to be fair, he isn’t the only one to have recently criticized the quality of the balls.

Jessica Pegula criticized the organizers at the Citi Open over the quality of the balls

Earlier this month, Jessica Pegula had raised similar concerns about the tennis balls at the Citi Open.

“Like, there’s different manufacturers. So, obviously, different countries, so different tournaments get the same ball, but it’s from a different place that makes them so it feels different,” she said in her post-match press conference on August 1. “I think the surface of the court, and does it fit with the ball? Like, sometimes the balls are okay, but you put it on a gritty court, and they get really chewed up.”

Just like the Canadian Open, Wilson balls were used at the DC Open as well. Brand deals are an important aspect of the controversy regarding the balls, as manufacturers have commercial agreements with particular tennis events.

Court speeds are also closely tied to the speed of the ball. The speeds of the balls are generally affected by the temperatures, as most of the events are held during the respective countries’ summer seasons.

Even though the balls are quick in nature, the heat and humidity fluff them up after just a handful of games. It is only on faster courts that the ball is able to maintain its quick speed for several games. Pegula isn’t the only one to have pointed this out, as players like Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas have also been regular critics of the balls and have been appalled by their quality at times.