Alexander Zverev finally captured a Grand Slam title on Sunday after beating Flavio Cobolli in the Roland Garros final.
Zverev defeated Cobolli in a thrilling five-set match on Court Philippe Chatrier, winning 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7, 6-1 in four hours and 16 minutes.
The German, once named the greatest player never to win a major, has now freed himself of that title, and is the first from his country to hoist a Grand Slam trophy since Boris Becker in 1996.
Prove me wrong – Alexander Zverev will win multiple Grand Slam titles now
He's finally got his first!
Cobolli, on the other hand, walked away empty-handed, despite forcing the world number three to a decider while producing some remarkable tennis.
The Italian is still just 24 years of age, and former British player Tim Henman thinks there is plenty for him to improve on.
Tim Henman reacts to Flavio Cobolli’s defeat in the final
Speaking on TNT Sports, Henman said of Cobolli: He has got a game which can improve.
“His serving is powerful but I think he needs to improve that first serve percentage so he gets the forehand into play.
“He is a great mover and a great competitor. He is not shy of finishing the point at the net.
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“So when you are moving on to those other surfaces like grass and hard, I think his game can transition well.”
Cobolli’s best result at a major prior to the French Open was a quarterfinal finish at last year’s Wimbledon championships.
With the run to the final in Paris, Cobolli will crack the top ten in the ATP rankings for the first time.
Alexander Zverev ends streak of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner
With his triumph, Zverev has officially ended the streak of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at Grand Slams.
After Novak Djokovic’s victory at the 2023 US Open, every major has been won by either Sinner or Alcaraz.
The ‘new two’ split all four Grand Slams between them in both 2024 and 2025, and Alcaraz had won the 2026 Australian Open.
But with the Spaniard’s withdrawal in Paris and Sinner’s early exit, a new major champion was confirmed, and Zverev capitalised on the golden opportunity.
Zverev is now the sixth player in the Open Era to win both a major title and an Olympic gold medal, joining Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Andre Agassi, Andy Murray and Yevgeny Kafelnikov.
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