Alexander Zverev once again felt the pressure in a Grand Slam final. This time though, he dealt with it in victorious fashion.
Playing in his fourth major final but still seeking his first title on the big stage, Zverev held off Flavio Cobolli 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1 in the French Open championship match on Sunday. The German prevailed after four hours and 16 minutes.
Despite finally triumphing on the big state, Zverev admitted to dealing with nerves.
“I was just very tight today,” the 29-year-old said during his press conference. “I honestly feel like I’ve managed the last two weeks extremely well… But then today I feel like I didn’t manage so well. I feel like the match was a lot more up and down. I think the level was not as stable as the previous matches for me, and I was a lot more nervous — which at some stage is also human, I think.”
You couldn’t blame Zverev for those mental issues given his past Grand Slam final history. His three previous appearances resulted in two five-set losses (to Dominic Thiem at the 2020 U.S. Open and to Carlos Alcaraz at the 2024 French Open) and one straight-set loss (to Jannik Sinner at the 2025 Australian Open). Heading into this final against Cobolli, the world No. 3 had played a total of five sets with a chance to clinch major glory (he led Thiem two sets to love before losing the next three and led Alcaraz two set to one before losing the next two).
That streak reached six when Zverev failed to close out Cobolli in the fourth. The world No. 14, who served for the set at 5-4, eventually converted his second set point with a blistering down-the-line forehand a 6-5 in the tiebreaker following a shocking botched volley at 6-4.
In the fifth, though, Zverev was just as dominant as he had been in the opening set. He broke right away — just as he did in the first — and never looked back en route to his long-awaited first major title. Zverev overcame a worthy opponent in Cobolli and also some physical issues late in the fourth set — likely because of nerves. But those may have been a blessing in disguise.
“I was cramping…even though I don’t think the cramps were physical,” Zverev assessed. “I think they were more mental. I was very tightened up. I was very, you know, emotional. I was a bit unstable also in the fourth set. I actually think that the cramps helped me in a way. I think that I let go. I kind of hit my shots a bit more and then just let go…. That’s why I played the fifth set the way I did.
“The fifth set went my way, and I’m happy about that and happy to be sitting next to this beautiful trophy for the first time.”
Cobolli, who was playing in his first Grand Slam final, will make his top-10 debut on Monday.
“First of all, I want to say congrats to Sascha for this title,” the 24-year-old said. “I think he deserved it. I also think today he deserved it more than me at the end of the match. But I want to say also thanks to me for what I did in this two weeks. I never expect all my life that this kind of result, and I’m so proud of myself.”
Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on Twitter at @Dimonator.