Alexander Zverev has finally broken the curse. The German defeated Flavio Cobolli in the Roland-Garros final 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1, after four hours and sixteen minutes on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
At 29, the world number two has claimed the major title that had eluded him for so long. After three Grand Slam final defeats against Thiem at the 2020 US Open, Alcaraz at Roland-Garros 2024, and Sinner at the 2025 Australian Open, Zverev found the resolve to finish the job this time.
The opening set was a masterclass. Dominant on serve and clinical on return, the German gave his Italian opponent nothing to work with. Cobolli, contesting his first major final, appeared frozen by the occasion.
But the 23-year-old Roman found his rhythm in the second set, capitalizing on a Zverev lapse to level at one set all. The third set turned on a single break in the seventh game, before Cobolli forced a decider by winning a gripping fourth-set tie-break 7-5.
The fifth set was emphatic. Zverev rediscovered his best level, converting 83% of first-serve points. He faced no break points and produced relentless tennis to close out 6-1.
Zverev becomes the first German Grand Slam champion since Boris Becker and Michael Stich in the 1990s. He also joins the exclusive group of players who have won both Olympic gold (Tokyo 2021) and a Grand Slam title.
For Cobolli, despite the loss, this Roland-Garros will remain a breakthrough tournament. Having reached the final after Arnaldi's semifinal withdrawal, the Italian proved he belongs among the world's elite.
