Alexander Zverev was overcome with emotion after finally ending his long wait for a Grand Slam title, breaking down in tears following his victory over Flavio Cobolli in the French Open final on Sunday.
The German defeated the Italian 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1 in a gripping five-set contest on Court Philippe-Chatrier to claim the first Major title of his career and erase the disappointment of three previous Grand Slam final defeats.
As the final point was won, Zverev dropped to the clay before covering his face and crying, the weight of years of near-misses and setbacks finally lifting from his shoulders.
The 2026 French Open had been widely viewed as Zverev’s best opportunity to win a Grand Slam. With two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz sidelined by a wrist injury and both Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic suffering early exits, the world No. 3 entered the tournament as one of the leading favourites.
Despite the growing expectations, Zverev consistently played down his status throughout the fortnight, insisting he was focused only on the next match rather than the possibility of lifting the trophy.
That composure was tested in Sunday’s final. The second seed made a flying start after electing to receive following the coin toss. He broke Cobolli’s serve immediately and raced through the opening set, breaking three times as the Italian struggled to settle into his first Grand Slam final.
Cobolli, however, refused to let the match slip away. The 24-year-old responded strongly in the second set, taking advantage of a dip in Zverev’s level to draw level at one set apiece.
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The German regained control by edging a tight third set, but the contest took another turn when Cobolli raised his game once again in the fourth. Zverev, meanwhile, appeared to be battling physical issues and showed signs of cramping as the match entered its decisive phase.
Cobolli capitalised on the opportunity, winning a tense fourth-set tiebreak to force the final into a deciding fifth set and raise the prospect of another heartbreaking defeat for Zverev.
Instead, the German produced one final surge. Drawing on his experience, Zverev dominated the decider, breaking early and taking complete control of the rallies. Cobolli struggled to maintain the intensity that had carried him through the fourth set, while Zverev continued to attack from the baseline and dictate play.
When the Italian sent a final shot long, the 29-year-old collapsed to the clay before celebrating the biggest victory of his career.
The triumph carried extra significance given Zverev’s history at Roland Garros. Court Philippe-Chatrier was the venue for one of the most painful moments of his career in 2022, when he suffered a serious ankle injury during his semi-final against Rafael Nadal. Chasing a ball late in the second set, Zverev rolled his ankle badly and was forced to retire from the match before leaving the court in a wheelchair.
The injury required surgery to repair torn ligaments and sidelined him for months. Roland Garros also delivered another painful blow in 2024 when Zverev squandered a two-sets-to-one lead against Alcaraz in the final and watched the Spaniard claim the title.
Those disappointments appeared a distant memory on Sunday. Having lost in the finals of the 2020 US Open, 2024 French Open and 2025 Australian Open, Zverev had repeatedly been asked whether he could take the final step and win a Grand Slam title.
He finally provided the answer in Paris. After years of falling short, battling injuries and enduring heartbreak on the sport’s biggest stages, Alexander Zverev is a Grand Slam champion at last.
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