Zverev beats Cobolli in five sets to win first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros
Alexander Zverev defeated Italy's Flavio Cobolli 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1 on Sunday to claim his first Grand Slam title at the French Open after years of near-misses and a career-threatening injury.
A long-awaited breakthrough
Alexander Zverev finally captured his first Grand Slam title on Sunday, defeating Italy's Flavio Cobolli in a five-set French Open final on Court Philippe Chatrier. The 29-year-old German, ranked world number three, had lost his three previous major finals and endured a harrowing injury at Roland Garros four years ago, when he left the court in a wheelchair with seven broken bones in his foot. Two years ago he lost the Paris final to Carlos Alcaraz. The 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1 victory, lasting four hours and sixteen minutes, completed one of the sport's most arduous journeys to a major trophy.
We've been through so much through injuries, through heartbreak, through losses. We've been losers at some moments, but we're Grand Slam champions now. That's what counts.
Zverev paid tribute to his long-serving team during the trophy ceremony, including his father, who has coached him throughout his career, his brother Mischa, and his physical trainer, who has worked with him since 2014. "I probably have the longest-lasting team and coach on the tour," he said.
Cobolli's breakthrough fortnight
The 24-year-old Cobolli, seeded 10th, was playing in his first Grand Slam final and had never previously contested a semi-final. He reached the championship match after receiving a walkover on Friday when last-four opponent Matteo Arnaldi withdrew. Cobolli struggled with nerves in an erratic first set but settled into the contest, forcing a deciding fifth set before cramps hampered him late in the match.
I felt cramps on my calf. You know, I tried all my best on the changeover. I took all five minutes. But my calf was gone. At the end after the second game also my quad, and I felt completely tired. My body left me on the court.
Despite the loss, Cobolli will enter the ATP top 10 for the first time on Monday. He earned 1.4 million euros as runner-up, while Zverev collected 2.8 million euros from a tournament that distributed a total prize pool of nearly 62 million euros, a 9.53% increase on the 2025 edition. Cobolli said he felt pressure in his first major final but remained optimistic about reaching another. "I will try and try and try, but when you reach the first final, why not the second?" he said.
Praise from tennis greats
Zverev's victory drew immediate acclaim from former champions. Boris Becker, the last German man to win a Grand Slam before Sunday (at the 1996 Australian Open), said a lifelong dream had been fulfilled. "He has more than earned it. After all the years, the work, the despair, the disappointment," Becker said. Zverev became only the third German man to win a major in the Open Era, joining Becker (six titles) and Michael Stich (one).
Congratulations on winning Roland Garros! So deserved after all the hard work and perseverance. You have worked a long time for your first Grand Slam, and you absolutely deserve it!
Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, was the opponent on the same court in late May 2022 when Zverev suffered the ankle injury that threatened his career. Cobolli also praised Zverev during the on-court ceremony, telling him that if anyone had asked who most deserved the title, he would have said Zverev. Adriano Panatta, the last Italian man to win Roland Garros in 1976, presented the Musketeers Cup to the champion.
A deeper Italian movement
The tournament underscored the growing depth of Italian tennis. Alongside Cobolli's run to the final, Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori won the mixed doubles title, and Matteo Arnaldi and Matteo Berrettini delivered strong performances. The fortnight in Paris certified a breadth in the Italian game never seen before, even as Jannik Sinner's early exit left a sense of what might have been. On the women's side, Mirra Andreeva confirmed her status as the sport's brightest young star by winning the title.
- Zverev leaves Roland Garros in a wheelchair with seven broken bones in his foot during a semi-final against Rafael Nadal.
- Zverev loses the French Open final to Carlos Alcaraz.
- Zverev defeats Flavio Cobolli in five sets to win his first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros.
What comes next
Zverev's triumph adds a Grand Slam to an already distinguished career that includes an Olympic gold medal, two ATP Finals titles, a career-high ranking of world number two, and more than 60 million dollars in prize money. Cobolli's next opportunity to reach a second major final will come at Wimbledon, where he enjoyed his best previous Grand Slam run last year by reaching the quarter-finals before losing to Novak Djokovic. "I'm still young," Cobolli said. "So I have to work a lot, enjoy this journey, and maybe if I work and enjoy a mix of things, maybe I will reach again the final."
