Alexander Zverev secured his place in a fourth Grand Slam final on a day when the Parisian sun made only fleeting appearances, much like the inconsistent form of his opponent Jakub Mensik. The 6-foot-6 German, seeded second at Roland Garros and the only semifinalist with prior major final experience, triumphed 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in just over three hours. Mensik, a 20-year-old struggling with a strained neck, even took a medical timeout to receive treatment.
Zverev's Resilience Shines Through
“I’ve always found a way even when things got difficult. I feel like today Jakub started playing amazing tennis in the third set and I found a way straight away in the fourth set,” Zverev said. “Today definitely was the toughest challenge. He played some amazing tennis throughout the two weeks.”
The 29-year-old has enjoyed a stellar run at Roland Garros, marking his 11th consecutive main draw appearance. He has reached the quarterfinals or better in the past six editions, advancing to four straight semifinals from 2021 to 2024. In 2024, he fell to Carlos Alcaraz in the final, and to Novak Djokovic in last year’s quarterfinal.
Path to the Final
Zverev will enter Sunday’s final as the favorite against 10th seed Flavio Cobolli, who advanced without hitting a ball after world No. 104 Matteo Arnaldi withdrew due to a virus. This marked the first all-Italian men’s semifinal at any Major.
Zverev has dropped only two sets en route to the final, showcasing his dominance on the Parisian clay.
