Alexander Zverev won his first Grand Slam title at the French Open, defeating Flavio Cobolli in the final.
Six years after his maiden major final, Zverev finally won one of the sport’s four biggest trophies.
The German proved his doubters wrong on Court Philippe Chatrier, battling nerves in a hard-fought five-set win over Cobolli.
How many more Grand Slams does Alexander Zverev win now?
What a final!
Record 14-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal has now shared his thoughts on Zverev’s big win.
Rafael Nadal says Alexander Zverev ‘deserved’ to win a Grand Slam as he lifts French Open title
As reported by ‘Marca‘, Nadal commented on Zverev’s French Open triumph.
“We had faith in him,” he said (translated from Spanish).
“I think he’s a player who, given his technical level, deserved to win a Grand Slam.
“Years went by, and he still hadn’t achieved it.
“In this case, he had an opportunity, and he took full advantage of it.
“It’s a positive thing for tennis that someone like him, who has been chasing that dream for so many years, has been able to conquer a Grand Slam.”
Zverev lost his first three Grand Slam finals, leading many to question whether he would ever get over the line.
He served for the match against Dominic Thiem in the 2020 US Open final, having already led by two sets to love before being forced into a decider.
But he was broken back, and Thiem won the fifth-set tiebreak to clinch his first major title.
Zverev returned to a major final four years later in Paris.
Again, he found himself a set away from Grand Slam glory, leading Carlos Alcaraz by two sets to one.
Unfortunately for Zverev, the pressure got to him, and he only won three games across the next two sets, falling to 0-2 in Slam finals.
A year later, he fell short once more, but Zverev wasn’t nearly as competitive, losing 3-6, 6-7, 3-6 to Jannik Sinner in Australia.
Alexander Zverev’s first three Grand Slam finals (0-3)
| Grand Slam final | Opponent | Result | Score |
| 2020 US Open | Dominic Thiem | LOSS | 6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-7 |
| 2024 French Open | Carlos Alcaraz | LOSS | 3-6, 6-2, 7-5, 1-6, 2-6 |
| 2025 Australian Open | Jannik Sinner | LOSS | 3-6, 6-7, 3-6 |
Widely regarded as the greatest player to have never won a Grand Slam title, Zverev was determined to rid himself of that label at the 2026 French Open.
He received a major boost to his title chances before the tournament began, when the two-time defending champion, Alcaraz, withdrew.
Then, when Sinner and Novak Djokovic failed to reach the fourth round, he became the clear favourite to lift the trophy.
All Zverev had to do was keep his composure and not let the enormity of the situation overcome him.
Despite several nervy moments in the final, Zverev did what many thought he couldn’t, and won a Grand Slam title.
He didn’t beat the best players in the world to clinch the title, far from it in fact, as Zverev’s French Open win was one of the easiest in recent memory, but he won’t mind.
When Zverev retires from tennis, he will do so as a Grand Slam champion, and whatever you think about him, someone of his ability deserves that accolade.
Alexander Zverev’s history with Rafael Nadal at the French Open
Zverev and Nadal have history in Paris, facing off twice at the French Open.
Their first meeting was, by far, the most memorable.
Playing for a spot in the 2022 final, the German and Spaniard contested two of the most engaging sets of tennis you will ever see.
Nadal won the first set 7-6 (10-8), before momentum swung back and forth in the second.
But as Nadal won the point to send them into another tiebreaker, Zverev suffered a horrific ankle injury that forced him to retire from the match.
Zverev left the court on crutches, and missed the remainder of the 2022 season.
He did, however, have a chance to play Nadal again at Roland Garros, in the first round two years later.
Nearing the end of his career, Nadal was far less competitive than he was in 2022, losing to Zverev in straight sets on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Fast forward two years, and Zverev lifted the trophy on that very court.
