Alexander Zverev wins French Open to claim first Grand Slam title

Alexander Zverev wins French Open to claim first Grand Slam titleZverev’s five-set defeat of Flavio Cobolli makes him the first German man to win a Slam since Boris Becker 30 years ago.Alexander Zverev has finally secured his maiden Grand Slam title with a dramatic five-set victory over Italy’s Flavio Cobolli in the French Open final on Sunday.The second seed became the first German man to win a major tournament since Boris Becker at the 1996 Australian Open with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1 victory after four hours and 16 minutes.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Kimi Antonelli wins delayed Monaco Grand Prix to extend F1 leadlist 2 of 4Marc Marquez hits 100 career wins with Hungarian MotoGP victorylist 3 of 4FIFA U-turns on water bottle policy in US, Canada stadiums after backlashlist 4 of 4World Cup 2026: All to know about key players and team recordsend of list“This court is so special to me in so many ways… but now finally, it’s a happy end,” said Zverev, who suffered a season-ending ankle injury in the 2022 semifinal against Rafael Nadal on Court Philippe-Chatrier, where he was also edged out in five sets by Carlos Alcaraz in the 2024 final.It was Zverev’s fourth Grand Slam final and second at Roland-Garros after some heartbreaking near misses in his career.“We’ve been through losses, we’ve been losers at times as well in the most important moments,” he said during the trophy presentation, turning to his team.“But at the end of the day, we’re Grand Slam champions now, and that’s what counts.”Cobolli, the 10th seed, was bidding to become the first Italian man since Adriano Panatta to win the French Open in 50 years.The 24-year-old had never even played a Slam semifinal before, let alone a final, after his last-four opponent Matteo Arnaldi withdrew from the tournament due to illness.“It’s not easy for me to talk right now,” said Cobolli after receiving his runner-up trophy from Panatta, before addressing Zverev.“I’m happy for you, but I’m also sad because I was close and I feel it. So now you’ve achieved your dream, let me win the next time.”