Alexander Zverev finally ended his long wait for a major title and is now a Grand Slam champion. The German defeated Italy’s Flavio Cobolli 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1 in a grueling five-set final to win the 2026 French Open. It took him four finals to win his first, which came on clay.
Alexander Zverev claims first Grand Slam title with dramatic Roland Garros victory
The second-seeded German, competing in his fourth Grand Slam final, dominated the opening set and the decisive fifth but had to battle through a competitive middle stretch against the 10th-seeded Cobolli, who pushed the match to over four hours on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Zverev’s resilience shone through as he broke decisively in the final set to seal the championship. This victory marks his first Grand Slam crown and makes him the first German man to win Roland Garros since 1937.
It caps a decade-long journey for the 29-year-old, who had previously fallen short in three major finals, including a painful loss at the 2024 French Open. Many highlighted his comeback story, noting his recovery from a serious ankle injury in a prior edition of the tournament.
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