For years, one question followed Alexander Zverev everywhere he played: Could he finally win a Grand Slam? On Sunday at Roland Garros, he finally gave the answer. The German star defeated Flavio Cobolli 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1 in the 2026 French Open final to lift the first Grand Slam trophy of his career. It came after years of near misses, painful defeats, and constant criticism about his ability to win the biggest matches in tennis.
During the trophy ceremony on Court Philippe-Chatrier, Zverev openly addressed that history. “We’ve been losers at times in the most important moments. At the end of the day, we’re Grand Slam champions now, and that’s what counts,” he said. Instead of arguing with critics, Zverev accepted what had been said about him over the years. Then he let his tennis do the talking. The victory ended one of the longest Grand Slam waits among top players and finally removed the label that had followed him throughout his career.
Road to the Title
The road to this title was far from easy. Zverev had already lost three Grand Slam finals before arriving in Paris this year. He lost to Dominic Thiem in the 2020 US Open final after leading by two sets. In 2022, an ankle injury forced him to retire during his French Open semifinal against Rafael Nadal. Two more painful defeats followed against Carlos Alcaraz at the 2024 French Open and Jannik Sinner at the 2025 Australian Open. Just a few weeks before Roland Garros, Sinner had beaten him comfortably in the Madrid Open final. Because of that, many believed the same story would repeat itself.
Instead, Zverev played some of his best tennis of the season. His serve was strong throughout the final. He landed 76 percent of his first serves and won 73 percent of those points. He also controlled the longer rallies, winning 39 of the 51 exchanges that lasted more than nine shots.
Momentum Swings
The match had several momentum swings. Zverev dominated the opening set before Cobolli fought back to level the match. The fourth set looked especially dangerous for the German when Cobolli forced a deciding fifth set through a tiebreak. But this time, Zverev did not let the pressure overwhelm him. He broke Cobolli in the opening game of the fifth set and never looked back. The final set ended 6-1, almost exactly the same way the match had started.
Finally a Champion
At 29 years old, Zverev finally achieved the goal he had chased for more than a decade. Four Grand Slam finals and seven semifinals were needed before he reached the finish line. On Sunday in Paris, he showed a different version of himself, one that stayed calm, handled pressure, and finally became a Grand Slam champion.
