Alexander Zverev wins maiden Grand Slam title at French Open

PARIS: Germany’s Alexander Zverev has finally captured his first Grand Slam title, defeating Italy’s Flavio Cobolli in a thrilling five-set French Open final on Sunday.

Zverev edged past Cobolli 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1 to lift the French Open 2026 trophy, marking a historic breakthrough in his career.

The 29-year-old German, currently ranked world number 3 and second seed at Roland Garros, became Germany’s first men’s Grand Slam champion since Boris Becker won the 1996 Australian Open.

Zverev’s path to glory included a dominant run through the draw:

First round: beat Benjamin Bonzi (6-3, 6-4, 6-2)

Second round: beat Tomas Machac (6-4, 6-2, 6-2)

Third round: beat Quentin Halys (6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 6-2)

Fourth round: beat Jesper de Jong (7-6, 6-4, 6-1)

Quarter-finals: beat Rafael Jodar (7-6, 6-1, 6-3)

Semi-finals: beat Jakub Mensik (7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3)

Born in Hamburg, Zverev started playing tennis at the age of five and rose quickly through the junior ranks, becoming a former junior world number one. He made his ATP main draw debut in 2013 and won his first ATP title in 2016.

Over the years, he has claimed multiple Masters titles, won the ATP Finals twice, and captured Olympic gold in Tokyo 2021. However, Grand Slam success had previously eluded him despite reaching several finals, including the US Open 2020 and French Open 2024.

After years of near-misses and setbacks, including a serious ankle injury in 2022, Zverev’s French Open victory marks the defining moment of his career.