Alexander Zverev finally broke through for his first Grand Slam title, grinding past a stubborn Flavio Cobolli in a five-set French Open final on Sunday at Roland Garros.
After losing three previous major finals, including one in Paris two years ago, Zverev held firm in a tight contest to win 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1. The victory makes him the first German man to win a Slam since Boris Becker at the 1996 Australian Open.
With Carlos Alcaraz absent due to injury and both Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic exiting early, the second seed seized control of a wide-open draw and delivered under pressure to claim the Coupe des Mousquetaires.
“This trophy helps the belief a lot. This year is one of the happiest moments in my career,” Zverev said, joking that he would not care if he was called the worst player to win a major.
“To be honest, I’m a little bit drunk already. I’m just happy to be sitting next to this trophy.
