Photo Credit: Getty Images
Alexander Zverev finally captured the Grand Slam title that had long eluded him, overcoming Flavio Cobolli and his own nerves to win a tense French Open final in five sets.
The 29-year-old German secured his maiden major crown with a 6-1 4-6 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-1 victory over 10th seed Cobolli in Paris on Sunday evening. It marked a breakthrough moment after Zverev had previously lost three Grand Slam finals and carried the weight of expectation into another opportunity on the biggest stage.
Zverev began strongly, dominating the opening set with his powerful baseline game before Cobolli responded by taking the second set and shifting the momentum. From there, the contest grew increasingly tense as both players struggled with nerves under the pressure of a Grand Slam final.
The third set swung back in Zverev's favour as he raised his intensity and found more consistency in rallies. However, the fourth set descended into chaos. Zverev double faulted at key moments, struggled physically and even required electrolytes as he battled cramp. Cobolli also faltered when serving for the set at 5-4 and later missed a set point in the tie-break, allowing Zverev back into contention before the Italian eventually forced a deciding set.
The final set was a mix of high drama and mounting tension, with momentum shifting repeatedly as both players fought to maintain control. Zverev made fewer errors at crucial moments and surged into a double break lead at 3-0, while Cobolli began to fade physically after a demanding contest.
When Cobolli sent a smash long on match point, Zverev collapsed onto the clay in tears, overwhelmed by the emotion of finally winning a Grand Slam after years of near misses.
The victory also marked a significant moment in men's tennis, making Zverev the first player outside of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz to win a Grand Slam since 2023. With Sinner exiting early and Alcaraz missing through injury, the tournament presented a rare opening that Zverev was finally able to seize.
For years, Zverev has been seen as one of the sport's most talented players, rising through the ranks as a teenager and quickly establishing himself as a consistent top 10 competitor. Despite winning numerous ATP titles, Grand Slam success repeatedly slipped away due to a combination of stiff competition, inconsistency on key points and difficulties under pressure.
Cobolli, meanwhile, produced a breakthrough run to his first major final. The Italian struggled early against Zverev's power but gradually found rhythm as the match progressed, showing resilience and shot-making ability that carried him deeper into the contest than many expected.
Although he fell short, Cobolli described his run in Paris as only the beginning of his journey at the highest level.
