Fourth lucky: Alexander Zverev breaks Grand Slam curse with French Open title

They say the third time is the charm. It took a fourth attempt for Alexander Zverev.

On Sunday, Roland Garros witnessed a third consecutive five-set men’s final as the world number three finally ended their Grand Slam drought and captured the French Open title with a hard-fought 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1 victory over Italy’s Flavio Cobolli. It was far from easy, Zverev fought for four hours and 16 minutes for the biggest triumph of his career.

Playing in his first Grand Slam final, Cobolli showed remarkable composure and resilience. After a difficult start, the Italian fought back brilliantly, pushing Zverev to the limit and forcing a deciding set. However, when it mattered most, the German’s experience proved decisive. As the match went on, Cobolli began to weaken physically and Zverev took advantage to take control of the fifth set.

Highlights from the 2026 French Open Men’s Singles Final

When Cobolli’s forehand sailed long for a championship point, Zverev collapsed on the clay in tears of joy, finally ending years of suffering on tennis’ biggest stages.

The German had previously lost in three Grand Slam finals. He lost to Dominic Thiem in the 2020 US Open final after holding a two-set lead. Four years later, Carlos Alcaraz beat him in a five-set Roland Garros finalbefore being beaten in straight sets by Jannik Sinner in the 2025 Australian Open final. These setbacks raised doubts about whether Zverev would ever win a major title.

In Paris he finally answered them. Eleven years after making his Grand Slam main draw debut, the 29-year-old lifted his first major trophy and removed the biggest question mark hanging over his career.

With Alcaraz sidelined by injury and both Sinner and Novak Djokovic retiring earlier than expected, Zverev arrived in Paris as one of the favourites. He lived up to that bill, overcoming a spirited challenge from Cobolli to finally write his name in Grand Slam history.

THE COBOLLI ARE BACK AFTER CONTROLLING ZVEREV

Flavio Cobolli played his first Grand Slam final on Sunday. Courtesy: Reuters

Zverev made a brisk start to the final, winning the opening set 6:1 in just 26 minutes. The German broke early after forcing Flavio Cobolli into a forehand error and quickly gained control with his powerful serve and accurate baseline play.

Cobolli struggled to find answers as Zverev dominated serve, adding two more breaks of serve and producing a near-flawless performance to take the lead.

However, the Italian responded brilliantly in the second set. Cobolli showed much more composure and reduced unforced errors and began to compete much more effectively from the baseline.

While Zverev continued to serve strongly, the momentum gradually shifted as Cobolli found his rhythm and applied sustained pressure. After missing an earlier break chance, he stayed patient and eventually secured the decisive break to take a 4-3 lead.

With the pressure mounting, Cobolli held his nerve brilliantly, firing an ace and winning key points to serve out the set and level the final a set apiece.

ZVEREV TAKES THE ADVANTAGE BACK

Alexander Zverev was playing in his fourth Grand Slam final. Courtesy: Reuters

Zverev showed all his experience and composure to overcome a hard-fought third set against Cobolli to move one set away from the Roland-Garros title. After surrendering the second set, the German found himself in a tense battle as Cobolli continued to play with confidence and intensity.

Zverev looked set to break at 2-2 when he earned two break points, but the Italian showed remarkable resilience to save both and keep level. The missed opportunity did not faze Zverev too much. He remained calm, held his serve comfortably and constantly put pressure on his opponents on the board.

As the set progressed, the German’s patience and experience from the big match began to speak. At 5:4, he finally got the opening he was waiting for. Three consecutive forehand errors from Cobolli earned Zverev a decisive break, allowing him to secure the set and take a decisive 2-1 lead in the final.

COBOLLI BREATHES

Flavio Cobolli made life difficult for Alexander Zverev in the final. Courtesy: Reuters

Cobolli showed remarkable composure and resilience to force a decisive fifth set against Zverev. After dropping the third set and appearing to be losing momentum, the Italian immediately responded by breaking serve early in the fourth, sending a clear message that he was far from finished.

Although Zverev fought his way back into the match and erased Cobolli’s advantage, the Italian refused to panic and broke straight to regain control of the set.

The pressure only mounted as Cobolli served out for the set and then held out as a determined Zverev dragged him into the tie-break.

Nevertheless, the 23-year-old continued to hold his nerve. After trailing 3-1 in the tie-break, he produced a fearless response, winning key points and displaying his shooting brilliance. A delicate drop shot earned him two set points before a thunderous forehand winner sealed the tie-break and sent the final into a dramatic fifth set.

More to follow…

– The end

Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

07 Jun 2026 23:26 IST