Alexander Zverev criticized again for what he did during his opening match in Canada

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Alexander Zverev kicked off his Canadian Open campaign with an important win, but did not pull up any trees with his performance.

The German star made his return in Toronto, having last been seen at Wimbledon, where Zverev lost to Arthur Rinderknech in his opening match.

Taking on Australia’s Adam Walton in the second round of the Canadian Open, the world number three was searching for a big win.

Getting the job done, Zverev defeated Walton 7-6, 6-4, securing his place in the third round, where he will play Matteo Arnaldi.

His performance was far from convincing, however, and Zverev was criticized for his approach to one point in particular after the match.

Alexander Zverev criticized for being too ‘passive’ in 52-shot rally

At 5-5 in the first set, Zverev outlasted Walton in a marathon 52-shot rally to earn himself a set point.

The fans in Canada were on their feet after the point, but those watching at home weren’t quite so impressed, as they replied to Tennis TV’s ’52 shots of the highest quality’ post.

“Looks like warmup,” said one fan.

“A typical [Alexander] Zverev strategy during a big point. No risk, no initiative, just passive, safe, and sterile balls down the middle,” added another.

“This is not the highest quality. This is just very defensive play from both sides, unwilling to innovate and playing ‘safe’ shots,” said one fan.

They weren’t the only fans left unimpressed, as several others took to X to criticize Tennis TV’s use of the word ‘quality’.

“That’s an insult to quality,” said one fan.

“Is the high quality in a different video you forgot to post?” asked another.

Zverev has long been criticized for being too passive in the big points, as some have suggested his lack of aggression has prevented him from taking his game to another level.

Whilst he didn’t make any glaring errors throughout the 52-shot rally, it’s fair to say he could’ve tried to finish the point quicker than he did.

Criticizing Zverev for being too passive, a number of fans claimed the rally highlighted why the German hasn’t won a Grand Slam title.

“This video explains why Zverev will never win a Slam,” claimed one fan.

“This is one of the reasons why Zverev can’t win a Grand Slam,” said another.

“Yuck. This is why Zverev will never win a Slam. His inability to finish off points with a winner or an aggressive shot,” added a disappointed fan.

Zverev is widely considered to be one of the best players to have never won a Grand Slam title, as he continues to fall short at the major tournaments.

Is Alexander Zverev the best player without a Grand Slam?

At 28 years of age, Zverev has yet to win a Grand Slam, but that’s not to say he hasn’t come close.

Zverev led by two sets to love in the US Open final five years ago, but couldn’t get over the line as he fell to his close friend Dominic Thiem 6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-7.

He lost another five-setter to Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open final last year, as his record in Slam finals slumped to 0-2.

A third major final defeat followed at this year’s Australian Open when Zverev lost to Jannik Sinner in straight sets.

Among active players, only Casper Ruud can match Zverev’s record of three Slam final defeats, as the pair stake strong claims for the moniker of the ‘greatest to never win a major’.

Over the years, several other tennis stars failed to win Grand Slams during their careers, but none have come closer than Zverev.

• Marcelo Rios: Grand Slam final defeats – 1 (Career-high ranking – 1st)
• Alex Corretja: Grand Slam final defeats – 2 (Career-high ranking – 2nd)
• Miroslav Mecir: Grand Slam final defeats – 2 (Career-high ranking – 4th)
• David Ferrer: Grand Slam final defeats – 1 (Career-high ranking – 3rd)
• Tomas Berdych: Grand Slam final defeats – 1 (Career-high ranking – 4th)

Zverev is determined to remove his name from these discussions, and may well be in with a chance to do just that next month.

The 28-year-old’s next shot at Grand Slam glory will come at the US Open, which begins on Sunday, August 24.