The field at Roland Garros was depleted of all other top contenders by week two, but Alexander Zverev is no longer the best player to never win a Grand Slam.
After three heartbreaking Grand Slam finals in a row, the German scored a tough 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7, 6-1 victory over 10th seed Flavio Cobolli in his fourth final. It’s the first time he’s won a tournament of any kind in more than a year.
Zverev, ranked third in the world, entered the tennis world’s biggest match with a bitter history behind him. At the 2020 US Open, which was hit by the coronavirus, he collapsed against Dominic Thiem. At the 2024 French Open, he took a 2-1 set lead against Carlos Alcaraz, but lost in the final two sets. He was beaten hard by Jannik Sinner at the 2025 Australian Open.
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Although Koboli was a far less skilled opponent than these three, he still possessed the mobility and ball-attacking ability to challenge Zverev. It was a difficult match for both players, but Germany won in a one-sided fifth set.
When Koboli missed his last shot, Zverev collapsed on the court and cried, feeling the end of his long journey. At 29, he is the seventh oldest player in tennis history to win his first major, and the first German man to win his first major since 1996.
It was unpleasant for Alexander Zverev, but then it was easy
Zverev dispatched Jakub Mencik in four sets on Saturday, while Coboli was forced to withdraw due to illness of his compatriot Matteo Arnaldi, so both players entered the final with a significant lag in rest.
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That seemed to show in the first set, to Kobolli’s detriment. She was immediately broken and never had a break point in the first set.
In the end, the middle three sets were the key to the match. Koboli fought back with an impressive set, and Zverev took the third set with a late break. Both players exchanged two breaks in the fourth set, with Zverev suffering from cramps, but Koboli overcame an early set point error to take the second set en route to the tie-break.
On paper, Kobolli had the remaining advantage and entered the fifth set with momentum. He then passed out and fell to a double break to start the set, but never recovered. Still only 24 years old, he should have had more chances, but this was definitely a missed opportunity for him.
So many expected Zverev to collapse at this level after taking a much bigger lead under less pressure. Aside from some double fault issues (nine total), he was the more consistent player throughout the match, holding better numbers in winners (50-42), unforced errors (65-54), and forced errors (47-40).
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Zverev’s backhand is one of the best shots in tennis, and it served him well, as did his first serve, hitting it 76% of the time and winning by 73% of the points. It was an outstanding forehand compared to past performances and gave Cobolli no escape in the long rally. Zverev won 39 of 51 rallies that lasted at least nine shots.
By the fourth round, the door was open for Alexander Zverev.
In addition to Zverev’s breakthrough, this tournament will also be remembered for the complete exodus of top prospects.
Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and highly anticipated French player Arthur Fils were forced to withdraw with injuries. And Sinner, an outrageous favorite, faltered in the second round, while three-time French Open champion Novak Djokovic lost in the third round to rising star Joao Fonseca.
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By the fourth round, Zverev and fourth-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime were the only ATP top 10 players left in the field. He is better known for his success on indoor hard courts than on clay. The only real battle left was Zverev and his demons. His path to the final was devoid of any real obstacles, as there can be at a Grand Slam.
Round 1: Benjamin Bonzi, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
2nd round: Thomas Machak, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2
Round 3: Quentin Harris: 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 6-2
Round 4: Jesper de Jong: 7-6, 6-4, 6-1
Quarterfinals: No. 27 Rafael Jodal, 7-6, 6-1, 6-3
Semi-finals: No. 26 Jakub Mencik, 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
Does that mean there’s an asterisk in the title? Not likely. In tennis tournaments, that’s exactly how it sometimes works. Zverev was the only top player in Week 2 and took advantage of opportunities that have been missed in the past.
As long as Zverev waits for this moment, he will never become the most popular champion. His extensive court history pales in comparison to allegations of domestic violence from two ex-girlfriends, both of which he denies.
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It wasn’t talked about much on Sunday’s TNT broadcast, and it hasn’t been talked about much inside tennis venues since he settled one of his lawsuits in 2024 with a fine of 150,000 euros and a 50,000-euro donation to charity.
The Roland Garros men’s final, Alexander Zverev vs. Flavio Coboli, has the following results on Yahoo Sports:
The Germans did it. He defeated Flavio Cobolli in five sets to win his first Grand Slam title.
Koboli’s double fault triples Zverev’s championship points.
One more game for Zverev.
At least that’s a good thing, because Cobolli won’t take donuts in the fifth set of a Grand Slam final. He still has a lot of ground to make up for against an opponent who hasn’t broken down as much as some expected.
After all of that, Zverev gets the hold. Coboli had three break points and had chances, but this is probably the end.
Zverev then committed his ninth double fault, giving Koboli another break point.
oh. Coboli scored an overhead on break point and sent it into the net. That might be it.
At Philippe Chatrier we reached the 4 hour mark.
Some might have expected Zverev to fold at a moment like this. Instead, Kobolli missed the match. He has now dropped a double break to start the fifth set. If Zverev blows this, he’ll take it to his grave.
Koboli is immediately on the verge of a break back after two double faults from Zverev (he’s played up to eight today), but Zverev gets every subsequent first serve and outdoes it. Four matches away from his first Grand Slam title.
The tension continued in the fifth set. Koboli saved two break points but dropped the third to immediately give Zverev a decisive advantage.
Record of 5 sets for each player.
Zverev: 23 wins, 15 losses (10 wins, 2 losses at Roland Garros)
Cobolli snatched the fifth set three and a half hours later. This match was wild.
Let’s not forget that Koboli has not played since Wednesday due to Zverev having cramps. He has the remaining advantage and momentum, but Zverev was arguably the better all-around player today.
