Alexander Zverev wins the French Open and completes his years-long wait for a first Grand Slam title

The final itself was almost unrivalled in drama. Over four hours, Zverev and world No. 14 Cobolli engaged in an open exchange of blows, with the German taking the first set clearly 6:1 before running into trouble in the second. "Nicht zu glauben, wie Cobolli jetzt aufdreht," Boris Becker commented on Eurosport as the Italian fought back. Overall, "nach insgesamt vier Breaks musste die Entscheidung im Tiebreak fallen," before Zverev forced the issue in the fifth set, winning it 6:1. During a break he had been massaged on his thighs on the bench, but he fought through and finished the match after 4 hours and 16 minutes.

The triumph of the Hamburg native is historic in several respects. "Zverev ist damit der erste Major-Sieger seit den US Open 2023, der nicht Jannik Sinner oder Carlos Alcaraz heisst," according to one analysis. Zverev is also the first German champion at the French Open since the start of the professional era in 1968. "Im 41. Anlauf hat es geklappt" — that is how many Grand Slam tournament attempts Zverev had needed to finally stand at the very top. The 29-year-old is the fifth German Grand Slam champion, after Michael Stich, Steffi Graf, Boris Becker and Angelique Kerber.

Warm reception from politics and companions

Zverev had already gone into the tournament as favourite, after the competition had fallen one after another. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner was eliminated in the second round, surrendering a 2:0 set lead and a 5:1 advantage to Juan Manuel Cerundolo. Novak Djokovic, 24-time Grand Slam champion, suffered the same fate a day later. Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz withdrew altogether due to a wrist injury. "Diese starke Leistung begeistert ein ganzes Land," wrote Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz on platform X after the final.

From unlucky loser to champion

For Zverev, the path to this title was marked by many setbacks. "Dreimal war er auf teils dramatische Weise erst im Finale gescheitert": in 2020 he lost in New York, in 2024 in Paris, and in January 2025 in Melbourne. Particularly painful was the 2022 semifinal at Roland Garros, when he suffered a serious foot injury against Rafael Nadal and had to be wheeled off the court in a wheelchair. "Hier hatte er sich in Topform im Halbfinale 2022 gegen den Spanier Rafael Nadal schwer am Fuß verletzt und war als tragischer Verlierer mit einem Rollstuhl vom Platz gefahren worden." Exactly four years later he returned to the same venue and completed his mission.

The win was also a psychological redemption. "Ich will nicht als der beste Spieler enden, der nie einen Grand Slam gewonnen hat," Zverev had said after the defeat in Melbourne. That fear he can now set aside. "Wir waren eine Zeit lang auch Verlierer in den entscheidenden Momenten, aber am Ende des Tages sind wir jetzt Grand-Slam-Champions - und das ist das, was zählt." On the sidelines he was cheered on by, among others, Dominic Thiem, the former US Open champion from Lower Austria, who in 2020 had himself claimed his first major title in five sets. In the same category also fit Andre Agassi, Ivan Lendl, Andy Murray and Goran Ivanisevic — all players who lost their first Grand Slam finals and then triumphed in five sets.

Becker's special words

Boris Becker, who called the match as an Eurosport expert, was visibly moved. "Er hat das mehr als verdient. Das ist unglaublich, ich bin sehr stolz auf ihn." The Leimen native, with six major titles the last German Grand Slam champion before Zverev, won the 1996 Australian Open. "Ich bin sehr stolz auf ihn. Ein Lebenstraum geht in Erfüllung. Dafür hat er und seine ganze Familie so hart gearbeitet. Und das mit seiner Diabetes-Erkrankung." In doing so, Becker alluded to Zverev's well-known diabetes diagnosis, which has accompanied the athlete for years.

Zverev himself admitted at the press conference, "Ehrlich gesagt bin ich schon etwas angetrunken, deshalb wiederhole ich mich etwas öfter als sonst" — he had celebrated the title with a few drinks before the official party. "Ich hoffe, dass auch mental bei mir irgendwas aufgeplatzt ist. Das ist schon etwas Besonderes, hier mit so einem Pokal zu sitzen." Asked how he had processed the pressure of so many lost finals, he said: "Denn hätte ich auch diesen Kampf verloren, wäre mein Selbstvertrauen stark gesunken. Aber jetzt, wo ich gewonnen habe, habe ich das Gefühl, dass ich es wieder schaffen kann."

Cobolli as worthy challenger

His opponent Cobolli proved a worthy finalist, even though he ultimately lost clearly. The 24-year-old Roman, who had advanced to the final when ill semifinal opponent Matteo Arnaldi retired, showed nerves at the start but fought his way back into the match. In the fourth-set tiebreak he even saved two set points and seized his chance when Zverev handed him a 3:1 lead and Cobolli struck a forehand winner down the line to take the set. "Sasza, wenn mich jemand gefragt hat, wer diesen Titel am meisten verdient, habe ich immer gesagt, dass du es bist," the Italian said at the trophy ceremony. In the fifth set he broke Zverev's serve twice early, but the German counter-punched and pulled away.

The Italian sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport celebrated Cobolli's performance, even though the title went to Germany: "Un grande Cobolli non basta, il Roland Garros è di Zverev!" The French sports daily L'Équipe urged its readers no longer to call Zverev the best player without a Grand Slam title. The newspaper Le Figaro spoke of Zverev having conquered his "démons." In the stadium itself, the inscription on the stands of Court Philippe-Chatrier read: 'Victory belongs to the most tenacious.'

Alongside the men's final, the women's title was also decided on Saturday. Mirra Andreeva, a Russian, won comfortably in two sets against Polish surprise finalist Maja Chwalinska, who had sensationally reached the final as world No. 114. Andreeva climbed to No. 6 in the world rankings with the title, Chwalinska to No. 21. Chwalinska pocketed around 1.4 million euros in prize money.

Outlook for Wimbledon and the rest of the season

For Zverev, the season continues straight away. Wimbledon begins in three weeks, where he is seeded No. 2 behind the injured Sinner. His best result on Church Road to date has been a run to the fourth round. Afterwards come the Erste Bank Open in Vienna in October and the Generali Open in Kitzbühel in July — the latter with Cobolli in the field. In the upcoming hardcourt season Carlos Alcaraz, who is nursing a wrist injury, is, by his own account, not expected back until the US Open in September. For Zverev, after this emotional triumph, the path is now clear for more: "Wenn ich jetzt im Finale stehe, werde ich wissen: Auch wenn ich das Finale verliere, bin ich ein Grand-Slam-Champion."