Zverev is crowned at Roland Garros and achieves his long-awaited first Grand Slam

Pedro de Pablos | 7 Jun 2026 | 19.44

Zverev is crowned at Roland Garros and achieves his long-awaited first Grand Slam. Source: Getty Images.

Streaming ATP Stuttgart live tennis

🎾 Pierre-Hugues Herbert vs Martin Landaluce

Sign up with Bet365 here
Make your first deposit of at least €5
Go to the “Live” section and watch every match

Watch the match on Bet365

The fourth time was the charm. After losing three Grand Slam finals, Alexander Zverev has won Roland Garros 2026 after defeating Flavio Cobolli with a score of 6-1 4-6 6-4 6-7(5) 6-2 after 4 hours and 16 minutes of a match that was an absolute drama, relieving him of a great burden after an entire career trying to win a major.

The match had everything, including cramps for the German player, who is not typically seen suffering in this area. The tension was at its maximum from the very beginning, and drama took over Philippe Chatrier in a duel that will be part of the recent history of Roland Garros. Finally, Zverev can say he has his first Grand Slam, which will lift a weight off his shoulders for the rest of his career, as this was a shadow that had been haunting him for too long.

Zverev asserts his authority

The first game foreshadowed a long battle. Cobolli paid the price for playing his first Grand Slam final and started off making too many errors, while Zverev showed him he would be applying pressure from the start. The German player had up to four break points, resulting in an early break that put 'Sascha' in the lead. As if that wasn't enough, his serve continued in the same vein as throughout the tournament, making it seem impossible for Flavio to recover the advantage.

In fact, the opposite occurred. Every serve from the Italian player was a real ordeal, while Zverev's serves went smoothly for the German. As a result, Cobolli could barely hold his serve throughout the first set. A 6-1 that was a stark reality check for Flavio in the most important match of his career. 'Sascha' closed the first set with an impressive cross-court forehand. No sign of nerves that could come from being so close to his first major.

Cobolli fights back

The second set began much more evenly, with Cobolli noticeably making fewer mistakes than in the first set. In fact, with the score tied at 3-3, it was he who had the first break opportunities to pull ahead. Zverev managed to save the first one with one of the best points of the match, but an unforced error led to the first break of the match for Flavio. He was gaining more confidence, and now it was 'Sascha' who was complaining to his team for not having answers.

With each passing minute, Cobolli increased his confidence. His staunch defense was impenetrable, winners were coming from all corners of the court, the variation in heights was flawless, and he read 'Sascha's serve better each time. Although he let a game slip that lasted almost 10 minutes on serve, the Italian player did not falter on his own serve and closed the second set 6-4, instilling fear in the Hamburg player.

Nerves punish Cobolli

Flavio realized that drop shots were hurting 'Sascha' a lot and began using them frequently. The third set again started with both players not giving an inch, although it was Cobolli who had to save two break points in the fourth game to avoid falling behind again.

While the Italian player was all nerves, Zverev remained unfazed throughout the match, with the coolness and experience of someone who has already played three more finals of this caliber. In fact, that showed in the crucial games of the set, and at 5-4 in his favor, he became a wall, causing Flavio to err, as nerves got the better of him, and he made more mistakes than he should have. The result was a 6-4 lead for the German player who was now a set away from claiming the title.

Cobolli takes the match to an epic fifth set

Although he had taken a giant step, Zverev committed two inexplicable double faults at the start of the fourth set, which gave Cobolli hope and led to a break that put him at 1-0 and on serve. During the following games, the Italian player defended his serve like a fortress, but that advantage crumbled at 3-2 and Alexander clenched his fist knowing that the Musketeers' Cup was within reach.

The surprise came in the next game, as Zverev felt the pressure of being so close to his dream, played with fear, and once again lost his serve with several glaring errors. With a 5-4 lead to close the set, Flavio saw how 'Sascha' reached 30-40, showing determination as he began to experience physical issues, signaling his team to bring him some gel, and he broke with a signature cross-court backhand.

It's interesting that the German player brought out his best level at the most critical moment of the match, going up 6-5 to pass the pressure back to Cobolli who was at a loss. What's more, the physio entered at the side change to attend to Zverev. Even so, Flavio played incredibly and took the fourth set to a tiebreak. At that moment, tension was palpable, and both players gave it their all to protect their interests.

From 3-1 in favor of Zverev, it switched to 5-3 in favor of Cobolli. In fact, the Italian player had two set points, and on the first one, he made a glaring error by jumping too soon to attempt an easy volley. However, on the next one on his opponent's serve, he played an incredible cross-court forehand to lift the crowd and let out a roar heard throughout Paris.

Zverev breaks his Grand Slam curse

The deciding set began with several break points for Zverev, who confirmed the break to take the lead and edge closer to the title again. Cobolli had the chance to break back but failed to capitalize and completely deflated, conceding his serve once more to 'Sascha,' who led 3-0 and served after a backhand passing shot. It was at that moment that the Italian player requested the physio for issues with his right leg.

Cobolli had his chances in every one of Alexander's service games, but the difference was that he failed to convert them. 'Sascha' eventually broke Cobolli's serve again to close the match with a resounding 6-1 and hit the ground for the first time in his entire career at a tournament of this caliber. He had to endure, yes, but Zverev can now say he has fulfilled his mission.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Zverev se corona en Roland Garros y consigue su ansiado primer Grand Slam

ATP