Alexander Zverev defeated Flavio Cobolli, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7, 6-1, in the French Open men’s singles final.
At last, Zverev fulfilled his lifelong dream, becoming a Grand Slam champion for the very first time.
And in true Zverev fashion, he did it the hard way, outlasting Cobolli in a five-set thriller on Court Philippe Chatrier.
How many more Grand Slams does Alexander Zverev win now?
What a final!
After the match, Zverev received a message from the Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz.
German Chancellor congratulates Alexander Zverev on his ‘extraordinary success’ at the French Open
The Chancellor of Germany posted the following message on X.
“What an extraordinary success!” said Merz (translated from German).
“Heartfelt congratulations on the fantastic victory at the French Open and your first Grand Slam title, Alexander Zverev.
“This powerful performance thrills an entire nation.”
Zverev’s win ended a 30-year wait for a German Grand Slam men’s singles champion.
The last German man to lift one of the sport’s four biggest trophies was Boris Becker, at the 1996 Australian Open.
German Grand Slam men’s singles wins (11)
| Grand Slam | Player | Final opponent | Score |
| 1934 French Open | Gottfried von Cramm | Jack Crawford | 6-4, 7-9, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 |
| 1936 French Open | Gottfried von Cramm | Fred Perry | 6-0, 2-6, 6-2, 2-6, 6-0 |
| 1937 French Open | Henner Henkel | Bunny Austin | 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 |
| 1985 Wimbledon | Boris Becker | Kevin Curren | 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4 |
| 1986 Wimbledon | Boris Becker | Ivan Lendl | 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 |
| 1989 Wimbledon | Boris Becker | Stefan Edberg | 6-0, 7-6, 6-4 |
| 1989 US Open | Boris Becker | Ivan Lendl | 7-6, 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 |
| 1991 Australian Open | Boris Becker | Ivan Lendl | 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 |
| 1991 Wimbledon | Michael Stich | Boris Becker | 6-4, 7-6, 6-4 |
| 1996 Australian Open | Boris Becker | Michael Chang | 6-2, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 |
| 2026 French Open | Alexander Zverev | Flavio Cobolli | 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7, 6-1 |
Zverev has been Germany’s only hope for several years, fighting to end the drought.
But time and time again, he fell short, suffering heartbreaking five-set Grand Slam final defeats to Dominic Thiem at the 2020 US Open and to Carlos Alcaraz at the 2024 French Open.
A third major final defeat followed in 2025, at the hands of Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open.
Some wondered if he would ever get over the line, or if Zverev would retire with the unwanted label of ‘Greatest player to have never won a Grand Slam’.
Proving his doubters wrong at last, Zverev brought home the French Open title, as Germany returned to the top of the tennis world.
To truly cement his status as a great of German tennis, the 29-year-old has one job left to do.
Alexander Zverev must now deliver Davis Cup success for Germany
Zverev has won pretty much everything there is to win in tennis.
The German has an Olympic gold medal, the ATP Finals, countless Masters 1000 titles, and now a Grand Slam in his trophy cabinet.
But the one thing he hasn’t won is the Davis Cup.
The ‘World Cup of Tennis’ has eluded Zverev throughout his career.
In all honesty, it hasn’t always been a priority for the world number three, who played his first tie for Germany in two years at the 2025 finals.
Germany last won the Davis Cup in 1993, when Michael Stich won three matches in a 4-1 victory against Australia.
They haven’t won another title or returned to the final since, as they continue to struggle in the sport’s premier team event.
With Grand Slam glory ticked off Zverev’s bucket list, perhaps now is time for him to focus on leading his nation to victory at the Davis Cup.
He will have an opportunity to guide his team to the Davis Cup Finals when Germany plays Croatia in a qualifying tie this September.
