Germany’s Alexander Zverev finally achieved his long-awaited Grand Slam breakthrough by winning the 2026 French Open men’s singles title at Roland-Garros on Sunday. The World No. 3 defeated Italy’s Flavio Cobolli in a thrilling five-set final, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(5-7), 6-1, to claim the first major title of his career.
Zverev started strongly, dominating the opening set, but Cobolli responded impressively to level the match and push the German all the way. The Italian, playing in his first Grand Slam final, showed remarkable resilience and forced a deciding fifth set after winning a dramatic fourth-set tie-break.
However, Zverev’s experience proved decisive in the final set as he broke Cobolli early and cruised to victory after more than four hours of intense tennis. The triumph ends a painful run of three previous Grand Slam final defeats and makes Zverev the first German man since Boris Becker in 1996 to win a major singles title.
An emotional Zverev dedicated the victory to his team and reflected on his difficult journey, including the serious ankle injury he suffered at Roland-Garros in 2022. Cobolli received praise for an outstanding tournament and his breakthrough run to a maiden Grand Slam final.
