By Tony FairbairnAlexander Zverev [2] def Flavio Cobolli [10] 6-1 4-6 6-4 6-7(5) 6-1Alexander Zverev is happy to have a positive memory to take from Roland Garros after many negative memories in the past.PARIS, FRANCE – Alexander Zverev has described winning his maiden Grand Slam title as ‘important’ after he defeated Flavio Cobolli in a four hour Roland Garros final.
Alexander Zverev [2] def Flavio Cobolli [10] 6-1 4-6 6-4 6-7(5) 6-1
Alexander Zverev is the 2026 Roland Garros champion! The German outlasted Flavio Cobolli in a four hour epic to win his first Grand Slam title! Zverev is the first German to win the men’s singles title at Roland Garros for 83 years after a marathon five set victory. It was a good start for Zverev who was aiming to bury his Grand Slam demons as he won two long games to start this brutal contest. Both players were tentative given there was so much on the line but Cobolli was more nervous given this was his first Grand Slam final.
The Italian did get on the board but produced a handful of unforced errors in the opening set as he was unable to get a tune out of his forehand. Meanwhile, Zverev was aggressive from the baseline and made the rallies physical as the backhand was on form early. A comfortable opening set was sealed for Zverev as he took the opening set 6-1 and there was work to do for Cobolli.
In the second set, the tenth seed was much more settled and seemed to have more confidence on the forehand side. Some confident serving allowed Cobolli to get to grips with this match while Zverev continued to dominate on serve. The Italian did everything to disrupt Zverev’s routines from dropshots to powerful forehands.
However, it wasn’t until the seventh game where Cobolli earned the breakthrough as he consolidated the break with a smash winner. A high-quality game saw Zverev hold serve but it was too little too late as some serve and volleying allowed Cobolli to seal the second set with this match at one set all after 90 minutes.
A theme of the two and a half hours would be tension and dealing with nerves as there was a lot on offer for both players. A chance at history. It was a relatively relaxed third set for both players but it would be Cobolli who would falter at the first opportunity. Some uncharacteristic errors allowed Zverev a chance to break for the set which he took with the German taking a two sets to one lead and asking Court Philippe-Chatrier to roar with him.
This wasn’t the time for celebrating though as Zverev needed to get over the finishing line. That would prove to be easier said than done in what was a dramatic fourth set. Some poor errors from Zverev saw Cobolli break in the opening game as this match was well and truly on. Whoever was going to win this match would need to overcome their biggest mental obstacle of their career and Cobolli had no problems applying the pressure on Zverev as he took a 3-1 lead.
However, Cobolli was also feeling the moment and was broken back in the sixth game as more unforced errors gave Zverev a lifeline. The German was tight though and the serving of Zverev would get more erratic as the stakes got higher. A desperate attempt at a serve and volley would backfire for Zverev as he was broken back before Cobolli fended off more pressure from Zverev to consolidate the break.
Just to add to the tension of this final, Zverev started cramping but this would actually help the German. The world number two started to play more aggressively as he looked to shorten the points and this paid off as he broke while Cobolli was trying to serve the fourth set out. At 5-5, Zverev aimed to get some pickle juice from Marcelo Melo who was courtside and this seemed to help the German as he was now a game away from securing history.
Not to be outdone, Cobolli would respond in emphatic fashion as the fourth set was decided by a tiebreak. It was a tiebreak that had multiple momentum swings with Zverev taking a 3-1 lead before Cobolli stormed back to have two set points at 6-4. A wild dunk smash went wrong for the Italian as he handed the initiative back to Zverev but on his second set point Cobolli hit a ferocious forehand winner to send the crowd into a frenzy.
This match was going to a fifth set which everyone was excited about. The first two games showed why as they were brutal games but they went to Zverev who was showing his superior physical stamina. Now, it was Cobolli’s turn to cramp up as he was struggling physically. Although, Cobolli got on the board the Italian struggled to put Zverev under pressure.
It was a matter of time as Zverev cruised the rest of the set to achieve his lifelong dream and win his maiden Grand Slam title.
Zverev labels maiden Grand Slam title as ‘important’
After years of heartbreak, Zverev is now a Grand Slam champion after he fought past Cobolli in a four hour epic.
It was an incredible battle and now the German has the ultimate reward as he is a Grand Slam champion.
The world number two believes he can win another Grand Slam and labelled the moment as ‘important.’
“This trophy for me is very important, because if I would have lost this one, the self-belief would have gone down a lot,” Zverev acknowledged to the Roland Garros website.
“But now that I’ve won it, I feel like I can do it again. Now no matter what happens, I will always be a Grand Slam champion, and nobody can take that away from me. Maybe that does give me some freedom. Maybe my mind will just be a little bit calmer when I play a final, meaning that even if I lose it, I will still be a Grand Slam champion.”
It was an emotional victory for many reasons for Zverev as he has suffered a lot of heartbreak in Paris in the past.
The most significant memory was Zverev’s ankle injury against Rafael Nadal in 2022 which took months from his career.
Today was a bittersweet moment for Zverev but he now has a good memory to add to the bad ones.
“When I was on the ground, all the emotions came out because I think this court is very, very special to me,” Zverev admitted to the Roland Garros website.
“It’s special in a very positive way, but also special in a negative way, because I had some of the toughest moments of my tennis career here. I was laying on this court with an injury that I didn’t know if I would ever come back from. I lost a Grand Slam final here.
“All of those memories for me, they’re not wiped out. They’re still with me, but this one will beat all of them.”
Cobolli targets more Grand Slam success
It was an incredible tournament for Cobolli who reached his first Grand Slam final and pushed Zverev to five sets.
An incredible ends in heartbreak for Cobolli who can be proud of his achievement this week.
Despite defeat, Cobolli is continuing to smile as he adds perspective on his run to the final.
“I just want to enjoy every moment that I spend on court with a smile,” Cobolli told the Roland Garros website.
“I started playing tennis when I was young, and I never expected this kind of result, but now that I’m here, I just wanna make possible something special because for me it’s not done, it’s only the start and I’m still young.”
Cobolli is just the third Italian male to reach the final at Roland Garros and has lots to be proud of as he leaves Paris and heads to the grass where he reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals last year.
A top ten debut awaits Cobolli but the Italian is now aiming for more Grand Slam success as he looks to build on his Parisian success.
“This is something that you cannot predict, you know, but I will try,” Cobolli explained to the Roland Garros website when asked whether he will be back in a Grand Slam final.
“Like I said before, I will try and try and try, but when you reach the first final, why not the second? At the end, I think I deserve to be here in these weeks. Maybe not in the next 10, 15 Slams, but like I said also in the ceremony, I’m still young, so I have to do work a lot, enjoy this journey, and maybe if I work and enjoy a mix of things, maybe I will reach again the final.”
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