Alexander Zverev beat Flavio Cobolli in five sets at Roland Garros to win his first Grand Slam title (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Alexander Zverev is a Grand Slam champion for the first time after defeating Flavio Cobolli in a tense five-set French Open final on Sunday at Roland Garros.
The 29-year-old German beat the 10th-seeded Italian 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-1 on Court Philippe-Chatrier, ending years of near misses at major tournaments and becoming the first German man to win a Grand Slam singles title since Boris Becker at the 1996 Australian Open.
Zverev Holds Off Cobolli After Fourth-Set Drama
Zverev made a dominant start, breaking Cobolli early and taking the opening set in 35 minutes. Cobolli, playing in his first Grand Slam final, responded in the second set as Zverev’s serve began to falter, with double faults helping the Italian level the match.
The second seed recovered to take the third set, but the fourth turned into the most dramatic stretch of the final. Zverev twice fell behind by a break, showed visible signs of tension and needed electrolytes as he dealt with cramp.
Cobolli failed to serve out the set at 5-4, but he recovered in the tiebreak and forced a deciding set with a forehand winner on his second set point.
German Ends Long Wait For Major Breakthrough
The final set brought more nervous moments from both players, but Zverev steadied himself better. He moved into a double-break lead at 3-0, saved all four break points he faced in the set and closed out the match after four hours and 16 minutes.
When Cobolli missed a smash on the second match point, Zverev fell backward onto the clay and covered his face with his hands.
“This court is so special to me in so many ways,” Zverev said during the trophy ceremony. “I have had the best moments of my life on this court and the worst moment of my life on these courts. I was playing in the corner four years ago over there with seven broken ligaments and two fractured bones. I lost a Grand Slam final here two years ago, but now, finally, it is a happy end.”
The victory came after three previous defeats in Grand Slam finals. Zverev lost to Dominic Thiem at the 2020 US Open, Carlos Alcaraz at the 2024 French Open and Jannik Sinner at the 2025 Australian Open.
His breakthrough also ended the recent run of dominance by Sinner and Alcaraz, who had won the previous nine men’s Grand Slam titles between them before this year’s French Open.
Cobolli Makes Career Statement In Paris
Cobolli’s run was one of the biggest stories of the tournament. The 24-year-old had never gone beyond the third round in Paris before this year and entered the final as an unexpected contender after Sinner’s early exit and Alcaraz’s injury absence opened the draw.
Although Cobolli started slowly, he pushed Zverev deep into the match with aggressive baseline play, drop shots and improved composure after the first set.
“I want to start with you Alex. If someone asked me who deserves this title, I always said you,” Cobolli said during the trophy ceremony. “It has been an honour to share the court with you today. I am happy for you but I am also sad as I was close and I felt it. Now that you have achieved your dream, let me win next time.”
Cobolli also described his run as a step forward rather than a finish line.
“I started playing when I was young and I never expected this kind of result,” Cobolli said. “Now that I’m here, I just want to make something special possible. For me, it’s not done, it’s only the start.”
He leaves Paris having reached his first major final and is set to rise to a career-high ranking.
The result also gives Zverev a major title to add to a career that already included Olympic singles gold, two ATP Finals titles and seven Masters 1000 trophies. His victory is likely to reshape the men’s tennis market, including futures discussion around tennis betting sites ahead of Wimbledon and the US Open.