Alexander Zverev's search for an elusive Grand Slam title came to an end on Sunday as he rallied past 10th seed Flavio Cobolli through five absorbing sets to lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires at Roland Garros.
World No. 3 Alexander Zverev captured the French Open, his first career major title, with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1 triumph over world No. 14 Flavio Cobolli in Sunday's final on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
βThis court is so special to me in so many ways," he remarked during the trophy presentation. "I've had the best moments of my life on this court. I had the worst moment of my life on these courts. I was lying in that corner over there four years ago with seven broken ligaments and two fractured bones."
The first German man to win Roland-Garros in the Open era achieved a career milestone that on three previous occasions had escaped him, and as all things worth fighting for, it did not come easy.
It's been a long time coming for the 29-year-old from Hamburg, who over more than a decade has built a successful career on Tour, adding 25 ATP titles to his name and a gold medal in menβs singles at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Becoming a Grand Slam champion now is the dream that has become true on the same court that in 2022, he tore all three lateral ligaments in his right ankle while contesting the semifinals at the venue against the eventual champion and 'King of Clay', Rafael Nadal.
βI lost a Grand Slam final here two years ago, but now, finally, it's a happy ending," he added. "I really felt like the crowd was pushing me throughout the entire two weeks.β
In 2024, he made a deep run to the final on French soil but fell short to world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in five gruelling sets.
Today, the crown is his, and he takes the trophy home after two weeks in Paris, having dropped just two sets in six matches, going from strength to strength.
On Friday, Zverev booked his ticket back to the French Open title match by ousting 26th seed Jakub Mensik in a four-set thriller.
As for Cobolli, the Italian made an impressive run in Paris to play his maiden career championship match at a Slam, the first of many for the talented 24-year-old, who on Monday will crack into the Top 10 in the Rankings.
His notable campaign saw him rise to the occasion, leaving the court with his head held up high and a smile on his face.
During the trophy ceremony, he said, "If someone asked me who deserved this title more, I would have said you [Sascha]. Now you've achieved your dream, let me win the next time."
The Grand Finale as It Happened
In their fifth meeting at tour level, the second seed took the better of the Italian player, who fought hard throughout a four-hour, 16-minute encounter, competing in his first Roland Garros men's singles final.
The seven-time Masters 1000 champion displayed a dominant performance to take the opener 6-1 in 39 minutes.
In a tight second set, Cobolli found his rhythm, rallying to bounce back with a break in the seventh game as Zverev's forehand went wide and held to secure a 5-3 advantage.
Momentum shifted inside Chatrier as the three-time ATP title holder's clinical display on the return neutralized an opponent who had remained rock solid behind his service.
As a result, the reigning Acapulco winner closed out 6-4 in 54 minutes to even the match at one set apiece.
In the third set, the two-time Nitto ATP Finals winner pushed the reset button to come out firing. In the early stages, the Italian managed to resist the heavy pressure, fending off break points in the process to hold his ground at 2-2.
From there, Zverev's high-level shotmaking made the difference, seizing his chances when it mattered the most.
They went on serves until the 10th game when the German converted the break to notch the third 6-4, winning 95 percent of the points on his first serve.
On the other side of the net, the Florence-born committed several errors on the forehand wing, which cost him.
At this point, Zverev had earned a two-set-to-one lead in the final.
Trailing by a set, Cobolli regrouped, breaking to open proceedings in the fourth set, building a 3-1 advantage from there, courtesy of the drop volleys he executed with finesse.
After trading a break of serve, the 2025 Davis Cup champion recovered lost ground, breaking and holding to build a 5-3 gap.
So close and so far from the finish line, Zverev began to struggle physically during the 10th game.
Nonetheless, he came from behind to break his rival, hitting two state-of-the-art winners to square the scoreline 5-5 in the fourth set.
Separated by small margins, Cobolli found breathing room to push the former world No. 2 to a tiebreak for the ages.
Showcasing his tennis IQ, he came back from 1-3 down, firing three winners and making good use of the drop shot against an ailing adversary to steal the tiebreaker with a forehand up the line 7-5, sending the final into a decider.
Refusing to let the title slip through his fingers, Zverev became a gladiator on court, making a statement break of serve to kick off the fifth set.
Then, he surged on top from a lengthy game to convert a double break and held, establishing a 4-0 advantage.
From there, he used his experience and the remaining energy in the tank to stand up, converting the break in his second championship point to seal the set 6-1 and the final after five dramatic sets.
The first German man to win a major singles title for more than 30 years, since Boris Becker in 1996, finally stepped at the top of the podium, celebrating a breakthrough career moment in the City of Lights.