Roland-Garros: Zverev, Paris belongs to him
The 2024 Rolex Paris Masters champion has become a Grand Slam winner on the clay of Roland-Garros.
“Victory belongs to the most tenacious.” Beneath those words, displayed in bold capitals on the stands of court Philippe-Chatrier, Alexander Zverev collapsed to the ground in elation this Sunday, after sealing a five-set victory over Flavio Cobolli (6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1) in 4 hours and 16 minutes. At 29 years old, and after three painful near misses on the final step (US Open 2020, Roland-Garros 2024 and Australian Open 2025), Sascha has finally completed his quest, becoming the first German man of the Open era to lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires. He is now - and forever will be - a Grand Slam champion.
A status fully embraced
Given the whirlwind nature of this 2026 edition, Alexander Zverev’s triumph hardly comes as a surprise. Seeded No.2 following the withdrawal of two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, the Hamburg native watched as his fiercest rivals fell one by one, clearing a long-awaited path to the title. Jannik Sinner, hampered by a major physical issue, bowed out in the second round to Juan Manuel Cerundolo, while Novak Djokovic was stunned in the next round by Brazilian prodigy Joao Fonseca. From that point on, it was clear that a new Grand Slam champion would be crowned, as early as the Round of 16.
Still, Zverev had to hold his nerve, manage the pressure and live up to his status throughout the fortnight. He did so to near perfection, dropping just two sets on his way to the final - in the third round and the semi-finals - notably overcoming rising talents Rafael Jodar and Jakub Mensik.
The final itself, however, was anything but straightforward. After dominating the opening set (6/1), the German tightened up, allowing Cobolli to swing freely and grow in confidence. The contest stretched deep into the fourth set, a breathless moment that saw the Italian edge a tense tie-break to force a decider.
But this time, with a clear sense of purpose, Sascha did not let old doubts resurface. He took control early in the fifth and never looked back, despite the resistance of an exhausted yet dangerous opponent. When Cobolli missed one final smash, the new world No.10 could only watch as Zverev fell backwards, overcome by the emotion of a triumph years in the making.
Roland-Garros, the perfect stage for his triumph
Until this Sunday, many considered Alexander Zverev the best player in history never to have won a Grand Slam. A 25-time tour champion heading into this edition, his résumé already featured Olympic gold (Tokyo 2021), two ATP Finals titles (2018, 2021) and seven Masters 1000 trophies. It took him until his 125th victory in a major - more than any champion in the Open era - to finally claim the ultimate prize, joining Andre Agassi, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic as the only men to have lifted titles in all four major categories of the men’s game.
Yet what makes the story even more compelling is that this long-awaited breakthrough came in Paris, on court Philippe-Chatrier. A place where he has experienced everything, from his most serious injury to heartbreak, and now, ultimate glory. “This court is so special to me in so many ways,” Zverev said during the trophy ceremony. “I have had the best moments of my life on this court and the worst moment of my life on these courts. I was playing in the corner four years ago over there with seven broken ligaments and two fractured bones. I lost a Grand Slam final here two years ago, but now, finally, it is a happy end.”
The question now is whether this emotionally charged and symbolic achievement will lead to more success in the near future. The man himself has no doubt. “It happened for me very early at the Masters 1000 events because I won one when I was 20 years old,” he continued in his press conference. “I've won a lot of Masters 1000s after that, and at a major it took longer. Now no matter what happens, I will always be a Grand Slam champion, and nobody can take that away from me. Maybe that does give me some freedom. Maybe my mind will just be a little bit calmer when I play in a final, meaning even if I lose it, I will still be a Grand Slam champion. This trophy for me is very important, because if I would have lost this one, the self-belief would have gone down a lot. But now that I've won it, I feel like I can do it again.”
Visit the official Rolex Paris Masters ticketing website to book your tickets for the 2026 edition (on sale from 1 July).