Alexander Zverev of Germany reacts after successful the boys’s last match in opposition to Flavio Cobolli of Italy on the French Open tennis match in Paris, Sunday, June 7, 2026.
Aurelien Morissard/AP
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Aurelien Morissard/AP
PARIS (AP) — Alexander Zverev is not top-of-the-line gamers by no means to win a significant title.
He is lastly a Grand Slam champion.
In his fourth main last, Zverev beat Flavio Cobolli 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-1 for the French Open title on Sunday.
It was a singular alternative for Zverev with out Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz throughout the web and the third-ranked German took full benefit on the purple clay of Roland Garros.
When Cobolli missed an overhead on the second championship level after greater than 4 hours of the five-set encounter, Zverev dropped on his again to the clay and coated his face along with his arms as he started sobbing. When he bought up, along with his shirt and arms coated in clay, Zverev put his arms again on his face earlier than he lifted each arms in celebration.
Zverev has now joined an elite group of gamers that captured their first main of their fourth last: Eight-time main champion Andre Agassi, 2001 Wimbledon winner Goran Ivanisevic and 2020 U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem.
No Sinner or Alcaraz
Zverev had been an awesome favourite for the title ever because the top-ranked Sinner struggled within the first week’s warmth wave and wasted a two set and 5-1 lead in opposition to Juan Manuel Cerundolo within the second spherical. A day later, 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic was additionally eradicated.
Alcaraz, the two-time reigning champion, withdrew earlier than the match with an injured proper wrist.
It was Zverev’s second French Open last, having wasted a lead of two units to 1 in opposition to Alcaraz within the 2024 championship match.
Zverev had an excellent larger benefit — two units to none — within the 2020 U.S. Open last and misplaced that one, too, to Thiem. He was additionally overwhelmed in straight units by Sinner within the 2025 Australian Open last.
It was the twenty fifth title of Zverev’s profession.
Cobolli’s 1st Slam last
The 14th-ranked Cobolli had by no means been previous a Grand Slam quarterfinal till this week. He was trying to turn out to be the primary Italian man to boost the singles trophy at Roland Garros since Adriano Panatta 50 years in the past.
Cobolli comes from the identical tennis membership in Rome as Panatta did and Panatta was requested by match organizers to current the Coupe des Mousquetaires to the champion to have fun the anniversary of his 1976 triumph.
The honors, nevertheless, have been going to Zverev.
Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva gained the ladies’s singles trophy on Saturday.
Zverev took management early on
The match was performed in excellent circumstances and Zverev’s recreation was nearly flawless at first.
Zverev broke Cobolli’s serve in an extended opening recreation when Cobolli shanked a forehand into the primary row of the stands. The break got here after Zverev had a little bit of luck when a backhand return hit the web however dribbled over on recreation level for Cobolli.
A gaggle of ladies within the stands held up letters to kind Zverev’s nickname: “Sascha.”
Cobolli likes to face means over close to the nook of the court docket and hit massive kick serves out large into the advert court docket. Zverev knew what was coming and returned one such kick serve early within the first set with a backhand that he wrapped across the outdoors of the web put up. Cobolli ended up successful the purpose, however it was a message from Zverev that he knew the best way to deal with his opponent’s ways.
The subsequent time Zverev hit a wrap-around-the-net-post return, Cobolli could not deal with it and Zverev gained the purpose.
Cobolli’s supporters in his field have been all wearing blue, the colour of Italy’s nationwide groups, and as Cobolli labored his means again into the match, there have been chants of “Ole, Ole, Ole; Flavio, Flavio.”
After Zverev held for a 6-5 lead within the fourth, he had his higher proper leg handled by a coach. Then Zverev wasted a 3-1 lead within the tiebreaker, which Cobolli concluded with a forehand winner up the road that produced a roar from the group.
However Cobolli appeared to expire of power within the fifth, working down a drop shot just for Zverev to then go him up the road for a 3-0 lead and a double break.
Abuse allegations
Moments after Zverev’s earlier Grand Slam last in Australia in 2025, an individual within the stadium yelled out the names of two of his ex-girlfriends who accused him of bodily abuse.
One case was resolved following an settlement between German prosecutors, legal professionals for Zverev and his former associate. The ATP Tour investigated one other case and concluded there was inadequate proof.
AP Sports activities Writers Samuel Petrequin and Jerome Pugmire contributed to this report.
