Alexander Zverev’s French Open journey has been marked by no shortage of drama over the years. The German is finally the last man standing in Paris, and his route to glory has unquestionably honored the tournament’s defining motto, “Victory belongs to the most tenacious.”
During his champion’s speech, Zverev recalled the hardships he’s faced at Stade Roland-Garros over the years, including the freak injury he suffered in 2022.
Alexander Zverev Reigns Supreme at the French Open
Zverev, the second seed at the French Open, was chasing his first Grand Slam title in his 11th main draw appearance at the tournament. He had thrice been a quarterfinalist (2018, 2019, 2025), thrice a semifinalist (2021, 2022, 2023), and once the runner-up (2024).
Stars seemed to align for the German in 2026, as defending champion Carlos Alcaraz pulled out of the tournament and multiple top seeds collapsed early, including World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and third seed Novak Djokovic. Zverev made the most of the opportunity, beating Benjamin Bonzi, Tomáš Macháč, Quentin Halys, Jesper De Jong, Rafael Jódar, and Jakub Menšík before facing Italy’s Flavio Cobolli in Sunday’s title clash.
Cobolli posed a tough challenge for the 29-year-old, who claimed the throne with a hard-earned 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1 win. During his victory speech, Zverev remembered the highs and lows he coped with on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
“This court is so special to me in so many ways. I’ve had the best moments of my life on this court. I had the worst moment of my life on this court.”
In 2022, Zverev was just one win away from becoming World No. 1 when he ran into the French Open’s ultimate test: Rafael Nadal. The German gave the “King of Clay” a run for his money, but his campaign reached a disastrous conclusion when he tripped over his ankle and was escorted out of the court in a wheelchair. The match ended abruptly in the second set tiebreak and lasted a staggering three hours and seven minutes. Zverev was out of competition for six months.
“I was lying in that corner over there 4 years ago with 7 broken ligaments and 2 fractured bones,” the 2026 champion recalled.
Despite the setback, Zverev returned to the top in the months that followed and reached his first French Open final in 2024. He was leading Alcaraz by two sets to one but ultimately failed to cross the finish line.
“I lost a Grand Slam final here 2 years ago, but now, finally, it’s a happy end,” Zverev said.
Sunday’s showdown was Zverev’s fourth appearance in a Grand Slam final. He reached his first final at the US Open in 2020. The then 23-year-old led Dominic Thiem by two sets and a break but squandered his lead. He was then two points away from glory but lost the match in the final tiebreak.
Besides his 2024 runner-up finish in Paris, Zverev also made the final of the 2025 Australian Open. He was no match for champion Jannik Sinner, who denied him a single break-point opportunity throughout the clash.
Zverev’s victory in Paris means he now has 25 career titles, including one Grand Slam and seven ATP Masters 1000 events.
