Alexander Zverev’s long wait for a Grand Slam title is finally over.The German star defeated Italy’s Flavio Cobolli 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-1 on Sunday to claim the first major championship of his career. French Open Final at Roland Garros. The victory marked Zverev’s fourth Grand Slam final, ending years of near misses on tennis’ biggest stages. After a marathon contest that lasted more than four hours, the third seed crumpled to the dirt in celebration when Koboli sent an overhead kick for Zevrio’s second championship point. Overcome with emotion, Zverev lay on his back and covered his face with his hands, tears streaming down his face. Covered in the red clay of Roland Garros, he finally rose to acknowledge the moment before raising his arms in triumph. The title puts Zverev in a select group of players who claimed their first major championship in their fourth Grand Slam final. The list includes former champions Andre Agassi, Goran Ivanisevic and Dominic Thiem. The path to the title opened up significantly for Zverev after many of the game’s biggest names pulled out of the tournament. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner endured a difficult campaign and lost a two-set lead and a 5-1 lead against Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round. a day later, Novak Djokovic was also knocked out, while two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz withdrew early from the tournament due to a right wrist injury. For Zverev, the victory was particularly significant given his previous disappointments in Grand Slam finals. He led from two sets to one against Alcaraz in the 2024 French Open final before losing. Earlier, he lost a two-set lead against Dominic Thiem in the 2020 US Open final and was beaten in straight sets by Sinner in the 2025 Australian Open title match. The French Open crown is Xavier’s 25th career ATP title. Meanwhile, Koboli was in the biggest match of his career. The 14th-ranked Italian had never advanced past a Grand Slam quarter-final before this tournament and was hoping to become the first Italian to win the Roland Garros singles title since Adriano Panatta’s victory in 1976. Panatta, who came up through the same Rome tennis club as Cobolli, was invited to present the Coupe des Mousquetaires on the 50th anniversary of his victory. However, the trophy ultimately went to Zverev. The German dominated the early stages of the contest, breaking serve in the first game and racing to the first set. Cobolli slowly fought his way back into the match, encouraged by the vocal support of his team and the Italian fans in the stands. He even forced a deciding set after recovering from a 3-1 deficit in the fourth-set tiebreak and sealed it with a forehand winner down the line. But this effort took its toll. Koboli faded physically in the fifth set, allowing Zverev to take complete control and storm to victory. The men’s final followed Russian teenager Mira Andreeva’s victory in the women’s singles on Saturday, capping a memorable fortnight at Roland Garros.
