Alexander Zverev has finally done it. The German captured his first Grand Slam title on Sunday, beating Flavio Cobolli to claim the French Open.
Zverev, who had lost three major finals before this one, held his nerve in a tense five-set battle to win 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7, 6-1 on Court Philippe Chatrier.
The match was tight throughout and featured some wild swings in momentum. But Zverev steadied himself late, breaking twice in the final set to close out a victory that had been years in the making.
Back in March, he said he would win a major this year – and now he’s delivered. But even after conquering Parisian clay for the first time, Zverev isn’t really seen as a serious threat at Wimbledon.
Alexander Zverev’s struggles at Wimbledon
Grass has always been the surface that gives Alexander Zverev the most trouble.
Zverev has played in nine Wimbledon main draws but hasn’t managed to get beyond the fourth round. His best showings came in 2017, 2021, and 2024, each time ending at that stage.
The 2025 tournament was particularly tough, with Zverev going out in the first round to Arthur Rinderknech. And even though he’s won a total of 25 ATP titles, none of them have come on grass.
He’s made it to three finals on grass – twice at Halle (2016 and 2017) and once in Stuttgart (2025) – but fell short each time. His most recent attempt saw him beaten by Frances Tiafoe over three sets.
Zverev doesn’t seem as comfortable on grass as he is on other surfaces, which shows in his record there. If he were to win Wimbledon next month, it would go down as one of the biggest surprises tennis has seen this century.
Alexander Zverev’s reaction after losing to Arthur Rinderknech at Wimbledon
Not many people saw Alexander Zverev’s first-round exit coming when he lost to Arthur Rinderknech, despite his struggles on grass in previous years.
Still, the Frenchman came through with a five-set win, taking it 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-7, 6-4. Speaking after the match, Zverev gave credit to his opponent and said he felt good about how he played.
“I think generally he played a fantastic match,” Zverev told reporters during his post-match press conference. “I’m not sure he’s ever played a match like that in his life.
“I was too defensive in some of the opportunities I had. But I felt like I had him in the fifth.
“I lost my serve from being 40-Love up, which was, yeah, I wouldn’t say unfortunate because it was my mistake doing that. I had it on my racquet, so… can’t say I was unlucky or anything like that.
Zverev said: “Yeah. It is what it is. Again, grass season for me is always tricky.”
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