Zverev reaches French Open final and faces Cobolli

His opponent in the final is 24-year-old Italian Flavio Cobolli, who reached the semifinal by walkover because his fellow countryman Matteo Arnaldi had to pull out at short notice due to a viral infection. Zverev did not want to overstate the unusual circumstances: „Er ist ein grossartiger Spieler, ein grossartiger Junge. Ich freue mich, gegen ihn zu spielen." Zverev also praised Cobolli with the words: „Er ist supertalentiert, superjung, er verbessert sich immer wieder."

For world number three Zverev, it is the fourth Grand Slam final of his career, after he lost in five sets in Paris in 2024 to injury-absent defending champion Carlos Alcaraz of Spain. The finals at the 2025 Australian Open against Jannik Sinner and the 2026 semifinal against Alcaraz also ended without a title for the German. In total, Zverev is now playing his 41st Grand Slam tournament in Paris; he has yet to win a major title.

A win on Sunday would be historic: Zverev could become the first German men's professional since Henner Henkel 89 years ago to win the French Open in Paris. The last Grand Slam title by a German player on the men's tour dates back 30 years, when Boris Becker won the 1996 Australian Open. Becker, a three-time Wimbledon champion, offered appreciative commentary on his compatriot's semifinal success on Eurosport: „Er hat geliefert, er hat die Nerven behalten, er hat gutes Tennis gespielt." Becker also said: „Sascha zeigt jetzt sein ganzes Repertoire."

Becker and McEnroe see Zverev matured

American John McEnroe, seven-time Grand Slam champion, also sees a possible title win as a turning point for Zverev. Speaking to TNT Sports, McEnroe said a victory in Paris could enable the German to „plötzlich selbstbewusster gegen die Gegner auftreten, mit denen er bisher Schwierigkeiten hatte." Zverev himself is sticking to his familiar pattern and focusing on the next match: „Ich habe mich auf meine Sachen konzentriert, und das werde ich weiterhin tun. Das Einzige, worauf ich Einfluss habe, ist mein nächstes Match."

The semifinal against Mensik lasted around three hours. Zverev had previously dropped only two sets in the tournament and spent roughly four hours less on court than his semifinal opponent. Mensik had been troubled by cramps repeatedly during the tournament, received a medical timeout in the third set for treatment to his neck and shoulder area, and also suffered discomfort during a press conference. Before the match on Eurosport, Becker had struck an optimistic tone: „20 Jahre jung, zwei Tage frei – der wird fit sein wie ein Turnschuh."

Cobolli's unusual path to his first final

Cobolli reached the final not through sporting merit but through Arnaldi's withdrawal. The 25-year-old Arnaldi, ranked 104 in the ATP world rankings, said he was unable to sleep and had to vomit repeatedly. „Klar wollte ich eine Forfait-Niederlage verhindern, doch ich konnte weder essen und trinken, noch mich bewegen," he said. This also dashed the possibility of the first all-Italian Grand Slam semifinal in men's singles in the Open Era. Cobolli reacted with concern: „Als er mich informierte, fing ich beinahe an zu weinen. Er ist eine Inspiration für uns, es tut mir extrem leid für ihn."

For Cobolli, currently ranked 14th in the ATP and seeded 10th, it is the first Grand Slam final of his career. By moving into the top 10 after the final, the Italian will set another milestone. In their four previous head-to-head meetings, however, Cobolli has won only one. Zverev therefore goes into the match as favorite, even though the walkover backstory offers no indication of how the contest on Sunday will play out.

Clay as familiar terrain

The fact that the French Open offers Zverev a particular chance this year is also due to the configuration of the competition. Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, six years younger than Zverev and already a two-time Grand Slam winner before his 2024 Paris triumph, is missing through injury. Jannik Sinner, who exited Paris early this year, is also not in the final. Zverev himself recently pointed to his missed appearance at the 2026 Australian Open, where he lost to Alcaraz in the semifinal despite leading 5-3 in the fifth set: „Wenn ich den zweiten Satz gewonnen hätte und dann kommen seine Krämpfe im dritten Satz dazu, hätte das den Unterschied ausmachen können."

Paris also holds personal memories for Zverev beyond the 2024 final. In the 2022 French Open semifinal against Rafael Nadal, he suffered a torn ligament in his right ankle, was wheeled off court in a wheelchair, and later returned to the spectators on crutches. Nadal said at the time: „Zverev in der Kabine weinen zu sehen, war ein schlimmer Moment." A look at French Open history also shows that the men's title has recently been firmly in the hands of the so-called "Big Three."

What is at stake on Sunday

This coming Sunday now offers Zverev the chance to break that chain. Zverev himself struck a deliberately matter-of-fact tone before the final: „Ich werde mich auf ein 'hartes Match' vorbereiten und hoffentlich mein Level zeigen können." He is not short on self-confidence: throughout the two weeks of the clay-court tournament, he has delivered consistent performances and dropped only two sets in the entire tournament run.

In the event of a win, Zverev would not only set a personal milestone but also end an almost nine-decade-long trophy drought for German men's tennis at Roland Garros. The starting position is favorable: Zverev is world number three, clay has so far been the strongest Grand Slam surface of his career, and he faces an opponent appearing in his first major final.

Eurosport expert Becker had described the tournament before the semifinal as a test of character for Zverev, and in light of his 2024 run to the final recalled the words of Zverev's on-court speech at the time: „Hoffentlich werden wir eines Tages diese Trophäe in unseren Händen halten." Should Zverev actually deliver on Sunday, that promise would be fulfilled after 30 years without a German Grand Slam champion in the men's draw and 89 years without a German Paris champion.