Years of almost winning, painful losses, and many questions were finally cleared on Sunday. Alexander Zverev won the first Grand Slam title of his career by beating Italy's Flavio Cobolli in a thrilling five-set final at the French Open.
The world number three and second seed took the match 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1. The match lasted four hours and 16 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier. Zverev is now the first German man to win a Grand Slam singles title since Boris Becker did it at the 1996 Australian Open.
For Zverev, this win was not just about the title. It was also about making up for the past.
"This court is so special to me in so many ways, but now finally, it’s a happy end," Zverev said after the match, clearly emotional.
Winning at Roland Garros comes after tough years for the German star. He faced a serious ankle injury during the 2022 French Open semi-final against Rafael Nadal. In 2024, he nearly won again but lost a five-set final to Carlos Alcaraz.
After falling short in three previous Grand Slam finals, this win finally gave Zverev the success many thought he deserved.
During the trophy ceremony, Zverev turned to his team and reflected on their journey together.
"We’ve been through losses. We’ve been losers at times in the most important moments. But at the end of the day, we’re Grand Slam champions now, and that’s what counts," he said.
For Cobolli, the loss was a tough end to a remarkable tournament.
The 10th seed came to Paris without ever reaching a Grand Slam semi-final before. He got to the final after his fellow countryman Matteo Arnaldi withdrew from their semi-final due to illness. Cobolli took that chance to show he belongs with the best.
"It’s not easy for me to talk right now," Cobolli said after he received his runner-up trophy from Panatta.
"I’m happy for you, but I’m also sad because I was close and I feel it. So now you’ve achieved your dream, let me win the next time."
Cobolli seemed overwhelmed at first. He made 16 unforced errors in a one-sided opening set, which Zverev won in just 39 minutes.
The Italian found his game in the second set, breaking Zverev in the seventh game and serving it out to tie the match.
A key moment came in the third set. Cobolli was serving to force a tie-break when he led 30-0. He lost four straight points, including a big mistake on set point, allowing Zverev to take the lead again.
Cobolli kept fighting. The new top 10 player broke early in the fourth set and pushed it to a tie-break. He won it with an amazing forehand winner, sending the match into a deciding fifth set.
With the championship on the line, Zverev's experience made a difference.
After a brief break when Cobolli left the court, Zverev broke serve in the first game of the final set. Cobolli missed a chance to break back, trailing 3-0.
Even when Zverev faced three more break points, he held strong and never looked back.
When Cobolli missed an overhead shot on championship point, Zverev fell to the Paris clay in celebration. He finally ended one of tennis' longest Grand Slam quests.
This victory wraps up an incredible journey for a player who had lost six Slam quarter-finals, seven semi-finals, and three finals, including a painful loss after leading against Dominic Thiem in the 2020 US Open final.
Six years later, with Thiem watching from the stands, Zverev finally put those memories to rest and claimed the title that had been so hard to get.
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