In Roland Garros, Alexander Zverev finds freedom in maiden Grand Slam win
Germany's Alexander Zverev finally won his maiden Grand Slam. Playing against Italy's Flavio Cobolli, Zverev finally found the freedom that he had been looking for.
The prodigiously talented Alexander Zverev won his maiden Grand Slam title at the age of 29 on Sunday, beating Italy's Flavio Cobolli in a gripping five-set final that lasted four hours and 16 minutes.
Playing his fourth Grand Slam final, Zverev finally crossed the finish line that had eluded him for years. Prone to injuries, burdened by expectations, and often criticised for letting his emotions get the better of him on court, Zverev's face was a picture of relief after he won the final point.
At 29, he had finally fulfilled the destiny that many had predicted for him ever since he burst onto the tour as one of tennis's brightest prospects.
On Sunday, Zverev found more than a trophy. He found freedom.
Whatever people say about him now and in the future, they can no longer discuss Alexander Zverev without calling him a Grand Slam champion.
"If you call me the worst player to win a Grand Slam, I could not care less right now. If somebody thinks that, that's fine," Zverev said after the match.
"Now no matter what happens, I will always be a Grand Slam champion. Nobody can take that away from me. Maybe that does give me some freedom. Maybe my mind will just be a little bit calmer when I play a final," he added.
ROLAND GARROS FINAL: ZVEREV WINS IN 5 SETS
With the sun shining over Court Philippe-Chatrier, Zverev struck first. He broke Cobolli with a backhand that clipped the Italian's orange-framed racket before sealing the opening set with a forehand winner down the middle. Cobolli, however, refused to fade away.
The Italian fired himself up and produced a series of stunning winners to break in the seventh game of the second set. Backed by a centre-court crowd that generated a football-like atmosphere for the former AS Roma academy player, Cobolli levelled the match with a confident hold. But the momentum did not last.
Deep into the third set, Cobolli pushed a forehand into the net to hand Zverev a set point, and the German promptly restored his advantage, helped by another costly unforced error from his opponent.
Just when it appeared Zverev had one hand on the trophy, old doubts resurfaced.
A passive spell saw him broken twice in the fourth set. Although he clawed his way back to level terms at 5-5, he faltered in the tiebreak as Cobolli unleashed a forehand rocket to force a deciding set.
Defeats in his previous three Grand Slam finals - the US Open in 2020, the French Open in 2024 and the Australian Open in 2025 - had raised uncomfortable questions about whether Zverev would ever win the biggest title of them all.
For years, he had been viewed as a future Grand Slam champion. On Sunday, June 7, he finally became one.
The closing stages lacked the breathtaking quality of last year's epic between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, but Zverev did not care. Drawing on all his experience, he edged ahead in the decider and never looked back, reeling off the crucial games to secure the title he had chased for so long.
As the final point was won, Zverev collapsed to the clay and sobbed. Having spent the moment to himself, he finally rose to embrace his close friend Cobolli before soaking in the applause inside a stadium that has given him joy, heartbreak and pain in equal measure.
"This trophy for me is very important. If I would've lost this one, the self-belief would've gone down a lot. But now that I've won it, I feel like I can do it again," Zverev said.
For the first time in his career, the burden was gone. Alexander Zverev was finally a Grand Slam champion.
The prodigiously talented Alexander Zverev won his maiden Grand Slam title at the age of 29 on Sunday, beating Italy's Flavio Cobolli in a gripping five-set final that lasted four hours and 16 minutes.
Playing his fourth Grand Slam final, Zverev finally crossed the finish line that had eluded him for years. Prone to injuries, burdened by expectations, and often criticised for letting his emotions get the better of him on court, Zverev's face was a picture of relief after he won the final point.
At 29, he had finally fulfilled the destiny that many had predicted for him ever since he burst onto the tour as one of tennis's brightest prospects.
On Sunday, Zverev found more than a trophy. He found freedom.
Whatever people say about him now and in the future, they can no longer discuss Alexander Zverev without calling him a Grand Slam champion.
"If you call me the worst player to win a Grand Slam, I could not care less right now. If somebody thinks that, that's fine," Zverev said after the match.
"Now no matter what happens, I will always be a Grand Slam champion. Nobody can take that away from me. Maybe that does give me some freedom. Maybe my mind will just be a little bit calmer when I play a final," he added.
ROLAND GARROS FINAL: ZVEREV WINS IN 5 SETS
With the sun shining over Court Philippe-Chatrier, Zverev struck first. He broke Cobolli with a backhand that clipped the Italian's orange-framed racket before sealing the opening set with a forehand winner down the middle. Cobolli, however, refused to fade away.
The Italian fired himself up and produced a series of stunning winners to break in the seventh game of the second set. Backed by a centre-court crowd that generated a football-like atmosphere for the former AS Roma academy player, Cobolli levelled the match with a confident hold. But the momentum did not last.
Deep into the third set, Cobolli pushed a forehand into the net to hand Zverev a set point, and the German promptly restored his advantage, helped by another costly unforced error from his opponent.
Just when it appeared Zverev had one hand on the trophy, old doubts resurfaced.
A passive spell saw him broken twice in the fourth set. Although he clawed his way back to level terms at 5-5, he faltered in the tiebreak as Cobolli unleashed a forehand rocket to force a deciding set.
Defeats in his previous three Grand Slam finals - the US Open in 2020, the French Open in 2024 and the Australian Open in 2025 - had raised uncomfortable questions about whether Zverev would ever win the biggest title of them all.
For years, he had been viewed as a future Grand Slam champion. On Sunday, June 7, he finally became one.
The closing stages lacked the breathtaking quality of last year's epic between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, but Zverev did not care. Drawing on all his experience, he edged ahead in the decider and never looked back, reeling off the crucial games to secure the title he had chased for so long.
As the final point was won, Zverev collapsed to the clay and sobbed. Having spent the moment to himself, he finally rose to embrace his close friend Cobolli before soaking in the applause inside a stadium that has given him joy, heartbreak and pain in equal measure.
"This trophy for me is very important. If I would've lost this one, the self-belief would've gone down a lot. But now that I've won it, I feel like I can do it again," Zverev said.
For the first time in his career, the burden was gone. Alexander Zverev was finally a Grand Slam champion.
