Alexander Zverev has finally claimed a Grand Slam title. The 29-year-old’s long-awaited triumph came after a grueling four-hour, five-set battle against Flavio Cobolli in the French Open final. The final score was 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(7), 6-1.
Zverev collapsed to the ground when Cobolli sent an overhead shot long, and he covered his face as emotions overwhelmed him. “Two players that have given everything they had in this final,” said Todd Woodbridge on Nine’s coverage. “There’s a fair bit of emotion and pent-up anxiety and pressure and heartbreaking moments he can now have leave the body and enjoy a magnificent victory at Roland-Garros.”
Zverev had previously reached finals at the US Open (2020), French Open (2024) and Australian Open (2025), but had never managed to win. The match seemed to be decided early when the world No.3 dominated the first set. However, Cobolli was determined to keep his dream run alive as the final took several twists and turns.
After the fourth set tiebreak, it appeared the Italian could make a serious push with all the momentum in his favour. However, he chose to take a break to go to the changing room, which ultimately proved costly. The first game on Cobolli’s serve lasted seven minutes before he was broken by Zverev. The Italian then erupted in frustration, yelling at his team.
“He should be upset, he let the momentum go,” Woodbridge said. “He gave the opportunity by leaving the court and taking so long to get back out.” Jelena Dokic added that Cobolli “dropped that intensity” following the break.
Zverev then built a 4-0 lead before his rival finally won a game. But the fightback was too late, as Zverev secured the next two games to claim the title. With clay scattered across his back, Zverev hugged Cobolli after his initial reaction before heading towards his team and sharing embraces.
In his winner’s speech, the 29-year-old offered congratulations to his rival and his team, along with thanking the tournament organisers. Towards the end, his speech was directed to various members of his team before he delivered a line that perfectly captured his feelings.
“I just want to say thank you to everybody (in my team), we’ve been through so much,” he said.
“We’ve been through injuries, we’ve been through heartbreak, losses … but at the end of the day, we’re grand slam champions now and that’s what counts.”
