Zverev snaps Mensik to reach Roland Garros final, stands one win from elusive Grand Slam crown
Alexander Zverev dismissed Jakub Mensik in four sets on Friday to book a spot in the Roland Garros final, where he will face either Flavio Cobolli or Matteo Arnaldi for a chance at his first Grand Slam title.
Match action
Zverev delivered a clinical performance on Court Philippe‑Chatrier, winning 7‑5, 6‑2, 3‑6, 6‑3 in three hours and one minute. The first set hung in the balance until the German broke Mensik’s serve at 5‑5 and served it out. He then raced through the second set in 35 minutes, overpowering the 20‑year‑old Czech with deep groundstrokes and a 75% first‑serve rate.
Mensik, who had already survived back‑to‑back five‑set marathons in the previous rounds, called the physio early in the third set. He momentarily found a second wind, breaking Zverev to take the set 6‑3 and extend the match. But the effort proved too taxing. Zverev struck back immediately in the fourth, breaking in the opening game and never letting the advantage slip.
I knew it would be the toughest match I’d have to play here this year. I’m happy to have won, and I hope to play another great match on Sunday.
A familiar final hurdle
Zverev is now 0‑3 in Grand Slam finals, having fallen to Dominic Thiem at the 2020 US Open, to Carlos Alcaraz at Roland Garros in 2024 (after leading two sets to one), and to Jannik Sinner at the 2025 Australian Open. The 29‑year‑old German, an Olympic singles champion from Tokyo 2021, has often been labelled a player whose talent peaks before the trophy ceremony.
This year’s draw, shaped by Alcaraz’s pre‑tournament withdrawal and the early exits of world No. 1 Sinner and Novak Djokovic, presents Zverev with what pundits are calling his best chance yet. A title in Paris would also be his 25th ATP trophy and his first since Munich in May 2025, a drought that includes a straight‑sets loss to Sinner in this season’s Madrid Masters final.
The other semi‑final
Zverev will watch Friday evening’s all‑Italian clash between Flavio Cobolli, the 14th seed, and Matteo Arnaldi, ranked 104th, knowing either opponent will be making a Grand Slam final debut. Both men have cut through a chaotic bracket and now stand 72 hours from a date with the world No. 3 on Court Philippe‑Chatrier.
I hope to play another great match on Sunday.
Off‑court shadows
Zverev’s public image has been dented by a domestic‑abuse case that led to a €450,000 fine from a Berlin court in 2023. He appealed, and later reached an out‑of‑court settlement with his former partner, the mother of his daughter, ending the criminal proceedings. The episode remains a sensitive footnote as he bids for a career‑defining major.
