Alexander Zverev had his best shot at a Grand Slam title at the 2026 French Open—and he took advantage.
The men’s world No. 3 defeated Flavio Cobolli in a five-set marathon Sunday at Roland-Garros to take home his maiden Grand Slam title. Zverev had lost at three previous Grand Slam finals: the 2020 US Open, 2024 French Open, and 2025 Australian Open.
But Zverev, 29, did not have to face Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, or Novak Djokovic—winners of the last 15 Grand Slams—en route to the title. Sinner and Djokovic were upset in the first week at Roland-Garros, victims of the heat many struggled with during the tournament in Paris. Alcaraz, last year’s champion, missed the tournament due to injury.
Zverev had lost his last nine head-to-head matchups against Sinner, including the 2025 Australian Open final, the last time he made it to the final of a Grand Slam. He’s lost four of the last five against Alcaraz.
He’s split the last six matches with Djokovic, but is 0–2 against the Serbian at Roland Garros, including a four-set loss in last year’s quarterfinals.
