Alexander Zverev defeated Flavio Cobolli in five sets to win the French Open.
At the fourth time of asking, Zverev is a Grand Slam champion.
After heartbreaking defeats to Dominic Thiem, Carlos Alcaraz, and Jannik Sinner in major finals, Zverev finally enjoyed his day in the sun, lifting one of the sport’s four biggest trophies.
How many more Grand Slams does Alexander Zverev win now?
What a final!
During his post-match press conference, Zverev shared what would have happened to him had he lost the French Open final.
Alexander Zverev admits his self-belief would have taken a big hit if he had lost the French Open final
Zverev was asked if he believes he will play with more freedom now that he has won a Grand Slam title.
“Maybe,” he said.
“It happened for me very early at the Masters series because I won one when I was 20 years old, and then I won a lot of Masters after that.
Alexander Zverev’s Masters 1000 wins (7)
- 2017 Italian Open
- 2017 Cincinnati Open
- 2018 Madrid Open
- 2021 Madrid Open
- 2021 Cincinnati Open
- 2024 Italian Open
- 2024 Paris Masters
“I had that release at a Masters level event very quickly, and at a Grand Slam it has taken longer.
“Now, no matter what happens, I will always be a Grand Slam champion, and nobody can take that away from me.
“Maybe that does give me some freedom, and maybe my mind will just be a little bit calmer when I play a final, meaning that even if I lose it, I will still be a Grand Slam champion.
“So this trophy for me is very important.
“If I would have lost this one, my self-belief would have gone down a lot. Now that I have won it, I feel I can do it again.”
Zverev showed signs of nerves throughout the match, as the pressure took its toll on the 29-year-old.
But he wasn’t prepared to pass up on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to win a Grand Slam title, and pushed ahead in the deciding fifth set to clinch the win.
The German feels he can ‘do it again’ and double his Grand Slam tally, although that will be no easy feat.
Critics will argue that Zverev only won the French Open because the two-time defending champion, Carlos Alcaraz, wasn’t fit to play, and Jannik Sinner was knocked out early by Juan Manuel Cerundolo.
When the ‘big two’ return to the peak of their powers, it’s hard to imagine even a more confident Zverev can challenge them at the four Grand Slams.
He’ll certainly be up against it at the next major tournament, Wimbledon, where he has never been past the fourth round.
The real test may come 12 months from now, when he returns to Roland Garros as the defending champion…
Alexander Zverev didn’t notice Flavio Cobolli struggling during the French Open final
Later on in his press conference, Zverev was asked if he noticed his opponent struggling physically during the final.
“I did not realise he was struggling physically until after the match when he told me,” said Zverev.
Alexander Zverev vs Flavio Cobolli – Match stats
| Stats | Alexander Zverev | Flavio Cobolli |
| Aces | 6 | 6 |
| Double faults | 9 | 3 |
| 1st Serve % | 76% | 53% |
| Win % on 1st Serve | 73% | 63% |
| Win % on 2nd Serve | 58% | 50% |
| Break points | 9/21 | 3/8 |
“I was more concerned with my own physical level, because I started cramping in the fourth set as well.
“I started hitting the ball a lot harder and decided to let go of my arm a little bit, and the end result was very positive for me.”
When Zverev began cramping, some fans had flashbacks to Sinner’s French Open exit.
But the German handled the issue brilliantly, switching to a more attacking style of tennis, which delivered him a Grand Slam title.
Zverev will celebrate this win for quite some time, before switching his attention to the grass-court season.
He is scheduled to compete in the Halle Open, which begins on Monday, June 15.
