Paris, June 7: Alexander Zverev finally fulfilled his long-held ambition of becoming a Grand Slam champion after overcoming Italy’s Flavio Cobolli in a dramatic five-set battle to capture the French Open men’s singles title at Roland-Garros on Sunday.
The German second seed prevailed 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1 in a gruelling contest lasting more than four hours, securing the first major title of his career after three previous defeats in Grand Slam finals.
For years, Zverev had carried the unwanted distinction of being one of the finest players never to win a major. Despite collecting ATP Finals crowns, Masters 1000 titles and an Olympic gold medal at the Tokyo Games, the biggest prize in tennis had continued to elude him.On Sunday, however, the 29-year-old finally broke through.His victory was historic for German tennis, making him the first German man to win a Grand Slam singles title since Boris Becker’s triumph at the Australian Open three decades ago. The achievement also came in Zverev’s 125th Grand Slam match victory, the most wins accumulated by any player before claiming a maiden major title.
The tournament had appeared to present Zverev with a golden opportunity. With world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic all out of contention before the final stages, the German entered the closing rounds as the overwhelming favourite.
Yet the pressure of the occasion was immense.
Across his previous three Grand Slam finals, Zverev had repeatedly fallen agonisingly short, and memories of those disappointments seemed to linger throughout the contest against Cobolli, who was appearing in his first major final.
The opening set offered little indication of the drama that would follow. Zverev dominated from the outset, serving with authority and capitalising on Cobolli’s nerves to race through the set 6-1.The Italian gradually settled into the match in the second set. Finding greater rhythm on his forehand and applying pressure on Zverev’s serve, Cobolli capitalised on a series of uncharacteristic errors from the German, including costly double faults, to level the match.With the title on the line, both players struggled to consistently produce their best tennis. The tension was evident as momentum swung repeatedly between the two competitors.Zverev regained control in the third set, relying heavily on his powerful first serve to keep Cobolli at bay. Although the Italian continued to fight bravely, he faltered at a crucial stage while serving to stay in the set, allowing Zverev to move ahead once more.
The fourth set proved to be the most dramatic passage of the match. As the finish line approached, Zverev appeared increasingly burdened by the significance of the occasion. His forehand became tentative, his first-serve percentage dipped and signs of physical discomfort began to emerge.
Cobolli sensed an opportunity and pushed the match into a tiebreak. Despite squandering an early advantage, the Italian held his nerve to claim the breaker and force a deciding fifth set, raising fresh doubts about whether Zverev would once again fall short on the biggest stage.
Instead, the German responded in emphatic fashion.Drawing on his greater experience, Zverev quickly reasserted control in the final set. His serve remained rock solid while Cobolli struggled to maintain the intensity that had carried him back into the contest.As errors crept into the Italian’s game, Zverev seized the initiative and stormed through the deciding set 6-1 to finally secure the title that had long escaped him.For Cobolli, the defeat marked a heartbreaking end to a remarkable fortnight. The 10th seed had enjoyed the best run of his career to reach his first Grand Slam final and showed impressive resilience throughout the championship.
The Italian’s route to the title match had been unusual, with a walkover in the semifinals after compatriot Matteo Arnaldi withdrew because of illness. Nevertheless, Cobolli embraced the opportunity and pushed one of the sport’s elite players to the limit on the biggest occasion of his career. (Agencies)
