Zverev survives Cobolli’s furious fightback to claim his first Grand Slam title in Paris

Alexander Zverev finally ended years of Grand Slam heartbreak on Sunday, defeating Flavio Cobolli in a tense five-set French Open final to win the first major title of his career.

The German second seed came through a bruising contest on Court Philippe-Chatrier, beating Cobolli 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7) 6-1 after a final that swung between control, panic and release. It was Zverev’s fourth Grand Slam final and the one that finally changed his story.

For a while, it looked as though the match might turn into another painful chapter. Zverev started with authority, broke Cobolli three times in the opening set and seemed ready to seize the moment quickly. His serve carried weight, his baseline game looked settled, and the Italian struggled to match aggression with consistency.

But Cobolli refused to disappear.

The 24-year-old Italian, playing in his first Grand Slam final, found his rhythm in the second set. He lifted his intensity, pushed deeper into rallies and forced Zverev into mistakes. At 3-3, Cobolli finally placed pressure on the German’s serve and took his chance when Zverev missed a forehand on a break point.

The crowd sensed the match changing. Cobolli fed off that energy, while Zverev’s frustration surfaced. The German argued with his support box and drew boos from the stands as the pressure of another major final began to show.

Zverev recovered in the third set, but not without help. Cobolli missed two forehands at 4-5, giving the German a crucial break and a two-sets-to-one lead. Still, the match refused to settle.

The fourth set became a test of nerve. Zverev trailed by a break twice and fought back both times. Cobolli even served for the set at 5-4, only for Zverev to produce one of his strongest return games of the match.

Yet the Italian struck again in the tiebreak. Zverev led 3-1 and moved close to the title, but Cobolli dragged himself back. After missing an overhead on his first set point, he recovered brilliantly and drove a forehand down the line to take the set and force a decider.

At that stage, Zverev looked physically drained. He stretched his legs, consulted the trainer and appeared to be fighting both Cobolli and the weight of his own history.

Then the fifth set flipped completely.

Cobolli’s surge seemed to empty him, while Zverev found one final burst of clarity. The German used his experience, struck with more conviction and raced through the deciding set 6-1. After years of near-misses, including defeat in the French Open final two years earlier, he finally crossed the line.

The victory made Zverev the first German man to win a Grand Slam singles title since Boris Becker’s Australian Open success 30 years ago. He also became the first German man to win Roland Garros since Henner Henkel in 1937.

During the trophy ceremony, Zverev reflected on how much the court had meant to him. He recalled suffering a devastating ankle injury in Paris four years earlier, when he tore ligaments and fractured bones, and also remembered losing the final there in 2024. This time, he said, the ending was finally happy.

Cobolli, despite the defeat, left Paris with his reputation transformed. He had reached his first major final, pushed Zverev to five sets and showed he could compete on one of tennis’s biggest stages.

The Italian congratulated Zverev warmly, saying the German deserved the title, while admitting he felt sadness because he had come so close.

For Zverev, though, Paris delivered the moment he had chased for years. The stress, the doubts and the repeated Grand Slam pain all gave way to one long-awaited crown.