Paris, June 8: Alexander Zverev of Germany secured his first Grand Slam title on Sunday by defeating Italy’s Flavio Cobolli in the men’s singles final of the French Open. The match, held at Court Philippe-Chatrier, lasted 4 hours and 20 minutes, with Zverev winning 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-1. After losing a 2-1 lead, Zverev made a remarkable comeback to clinch the title in the decisive fifth set.
This victory ends Zverev’s long wait for a Grand Slam title. Previously, he faced defeats in the finals of the US Open in 2020, Roland Garros in 2024, and the Australian Open in 2025.
This title marks a significant milestone in Zverev’s career. He had already won 2 ATP Finals titles, 7 Masters 1000 titles, and an Olympic gold medal. Now, at 29 years old, he adds a Grand Slam title to his impressive achievements. Zverev becomes the first German man to win the French Open since Henner Henkel in 1937 and the first German man to win any Grand Slam title since Boris Becker’s Australian Open victory in 1996.
Zverev started the final with an impressive display, breaking Cobolli’s serve in the very first game. He quickly established dominance at the baseline, with powerful serves and groundstrokes that proved challenging for the Italian player. Cobolli struggled to find his rhythm, and the first set concluded in just 34 minutes. However, the 24-year-old Cobolli made a strong comeback in the second set, attacking boldly and using clever drop shots. His efforts paid off when Zverev’s forehand went long at a 4-4 score.
Cobolli held his serve firmly, leveling the match and energizing the Paris crowd. The third set became crucial. Both players held their serves until the tenth game, but Cobolli’s errors allowed Zverev to secure a vital break. He then won the set, moving closer to the long-awaited title.
In the fourth set, Zverev showed signs of pressure. He gave Cobolli a break opportunity in the first game and made errors while serving at 4-3 down. Despite struggling, Zverev managed to tie the score at 5-5, but he could not stop Cobolli’s remarkable comeback in the tiebreak. The Italian player, despite being down 1-3, won the tiebreak with a stunning forehand winner, pushing the match to a decisive set.
With momentum on Cobolli’s side and Zverev faltering again, it seemed the final might slip away from him. However, Zverev played his best tennis of the match in the fifth set.
Despite the struggles in the fourth set tiebreak, Zverev quickly regained his form in the fifth. With a strong serve and winning 83% of first-serve points, he forced Cobolli into mistakes with consistent groundstrokes. The second-seeded Zverev broke Cobolli’s serve early and never looked back, saving all four break points he faced and sealing the match with a 6-1 victory.
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