sports
Zverev Beats Cobolli in Five Sets to Claim First Grand Slam Title at 2026 French Open
Zverev claimed his first Grand Slam title with a five-set victory over Cobolli at Roland Garros. The 29-year-old German overcame prior final losses and physical challenges during the match.
Jun 7, 4:38 PM·2m read23 sources
+16
The IndependentAudio version
Tap play to generate a narrated version.
Alexander Zverev defeated Flavio Cobolli 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(5-7), 6-1 on June 7 to win the men's singles title at the 2026 French Open at Roland Garros in Paris. The match lasted more than four hours. Zverev, ranked world number three, entered the final as the top remaining seed after Carlos Alcaraz withdrew before the tournament with an inflamed tendon sheath in his right wrist.
Jannik Sinner lost in the second round to Juan Manuel Cerúndolo after blowing a two-set lead, and Novak Djokovic exited in the third round. Zverev did not face any top-25 player until the final, with his opponents before the championship match holding an average ranking of 57. He defeated Jakub Menšík, ranked 26, in the semifinals and lost only four sets during the tournament.
The 29-year-old German had reached three previous Grand Slam finals without winning. He lost the 2020 US Open final to Dominic Thiem, the 2024 French Open final to Alcaraz, and the 2025 Australian Open final to Sinner in straight sets. Zverev also won the 2020 Olympic gold medal.
Cobolli, ranked 14 and 24 years old, reached his first Grand Slam final. He was attempting to become the first Italian man to win the French Open since Adriano Panatta in 1976. Panatta presented the Coupe des Mousquetaires trophy after the match.
Zverev took the first set in 35 minutes. Cobolli won the second set and forced a fifth set by taking the fourth-set tiebreak. In the deciding set, Cobolli cramped in his calf and quad and said his body gave out.
"This court is so special to me in so many ways. I have had the best moments of my life in this court and I have had the worst moment of my life on this court," Zverev said. Zverev, who has Type 1 diabetes, administered an insulin shot during a changeover.
He landed 76 percent of first serves and committed nine double faults. He leads the ATP tour in first-serve percentage over the past year. The tournament took place during a severe European heatwave.
