Alexander Zverev Finally Breaks Through To Win 1st Major At Roland Garros

Germany’s Alexander Zverev plays a forehand return to Italy’s Flavio Cobolli during their men’s final singles match on day 15 of the French Open tennis tournament on Court Philippe-Chatrier at the Roland-Garros Complex in Paris on June 7, 2026. (Photo by Alain JOCARD / AFP via Getty Images)

AFP via Getty Images

For several years now, Alexander Zverev has earned the unfortunate banner of being “the best player never to win a major championship.”

The 29-year-old German world No. 3 had been 0-3 in Grand Slam finals entering Sunday’s Roland Garros final.

But No. 2 seed Zverev finally got the monkey off his back with a dramatic 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1 victory over No. 10 Flavio Cobolli to win his first major title.

Upon winning the title, Zverev collapsed in celebration on his back on the red clay, and then went into the stands to hug his father and grandmother. His mother does not watch his matches in person due to nerves, and was back at the hotel awaiting a phone call.

Before appearing in his second Roland Garros final in three years, Zverev was asked by TNT’s Mary Joe Fernandez if it would be sweeter to win his first major in Paris.

“At this point I don’t care anymore, but it would be nice,” he told Fernandez with a laugh.

The German will take home $3.25 million with the title, while Cobolli, who was seeking to become the first Italian man to win at Roland Garros since 1976, earned $1.624 million.

Zverev had been 0-3 in Slam finals but finally broke through for his 25th title. He is the first German men’s singles champion at Roland Garros since 1937 and the first German man to win a major title since Boris Becker at the 1996 Australian Open.

“He came through in a big way,” John McEnroe said on TNT. “It might open the floodgates. All of a sudden the pressure’s off, he could win a couple more of these.”

Zverev’s victory snapped a streak of nine consecutive majors won by No. 1 Jannik Sinner and No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz.

But the door opened wide when Alcaraz was forced to miss the tournament with a wrist injury and then Sinner was stunned by Juan Martin Cerundolo in the second round after being up two sets and 5-1 in the third while being overcome with cramps.

Zverev is not the first great player to struggle in his first few Slam finals. Ivan Lendl and Andy Murray both started 0-4 before winning multiple majors: eight for Lendl and three for Murray. Andre Agassi also started out 0-3 in Slam finals before winning eight in his Hall of Fame career.

In the decisive fifth set, Zverev broke in the opening game for a 1-0 lead.

He earned a double-break for 3-0 with a tasty drop shot that drew Cobolli into the net before Zverev passed him with a double-handed backhand to win the game.

“One of the best two-handers ever,” McEnroe said on TNT of Zverev.

Zverev then fought off two break points with some tremendous effort to hold for 4-0.

With Cobolli serving at 5-1, 15-40, Zverev raced back to retrieve a lob but Cobolli shanked the overhead deep and Zverev collapsed on his back on the court in celebration.

Zverev broke Cobolli three times and easily won the first set in 35 minutes, closing it out with a wicked crosscourt winner. The. Italian committed 16 unforced errors in the set.

“Cobolli looks like a first-time finalist who hasn’t been there, overwhelmed by the occasion,” McEnroe said on TNT.

But Cobolli steadied himself and broke for 4-3 in the second set when Zverev double-faulted twice in the game.

He evened it at a set apiece when he held serve at 5-4 on a net approach that Zverev hit into the net.

In the fourth, Cobolli scored an early break for a 2-0 lead, but Zverev later broke back for 3-all.

Cobolli then broke back for 4-3 when Zverev netted a backhand volley.

With Cobolli staying to remain in the match at 4-5 in the fourth, Zverev, a diabetic who takes insulin shots during his matches, began to stretch out his legs as he seemed to be in some discomfort.

But he broke back for 5-all with a vicious double-handed backhand up the line.

He then drank a fluid on his court provided by his team to combat whatever was bothering him.

He then held with an ace up the T for 6-5 and was a game from the title.

Cobolli had three set points in the tiebreaker but missed a high forehand volley wide at 6-4.

With Zverev serving at 5-6, Cobolli responded with a massive forehand winner up the line to seize the set.

Zverev’s previous history in majors was painful.

In the 2020 U.S. Open bubble final with no fans in the stands, he was up two sets on Dominic Thiem and served for the title at 5-3 in the third before losing in five.

In 2024 at Roland Garros, he was was up two sets to one on Alcaraz but won just three games in the final two sets.

And in the 2025 Australian Open final, he lost to Sinner in straights.

Zverev is finally over the hump, but will now face additional pressure to add another major when Sinner and Alcaraz return to the fold.

“Winning changes nothing,” Andre Agassi said on TNT. “You’re going to have that pressure again if you still have those expectations on yourself.”