- Alexander Zverev Ends Grand Slam Wait With French Open Glory, Secures $3.25 Million Payday In Paris
Alexander Zverev finally captured the elusive title he had chased for years after defeating Flavio Cobolli in a dramatic five-set French Open final on Sunday, sealing the biggest triumph of his career and a winner’s prize of more than $3.25 million.
The German second seed overcame the spirited Italian 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(5-7), 6-1 on Court Philippe-Chatrier to claim his maiden major crown at the fourth attempt, ending years of heartbreak on tennis’ biggest stages.
Zverev’s victory also etched his name into German tennis history. The 29-year-old became the first German man to win a Grand Slam singles title since Boris Becker lifted the Australian Open trophy in 1996, while also becoming the first German men’s champion at Roland Garros since Henner Henkel in 1937.
The triumph completed a remarkable journey for Zverev, who had previously lost major finals and endured devastating injury setbacks in Paris. Four years ago, he suffered serious ankle ligament damage on the same court during a semifinal clash against Rafael Nadal, while he also lost the 2024 French Open final in five sets.
ceremony.
“I have had the best moments of my life on this court and the worst moment of my life on these courts. I lost a Grand Slam final here two years ago, but now, finally, it is a happy ending.”
With defending champion Carlos Alcaraz eliminated earlier in the tournament and world No. 1 Jannik Sinner struggling throughout the fortnight, Zverev entered the final as the clear favourite. Yet Cobolli refused to let the occasion become straightforward.
The Italian, appearing in his first Grand Slam final, struggled early as Zverev dominated the opening set with powerful serving and relentless baseline pressure. Cobolli, however, gradually settled into the match and responded brilliantly in the second set, breaking Zverev at a crucial stage to level the contest.
As tension rose inside Court Philippe-Chatrier, Zverev’s frustrations occasionally surfaced, with the German directing angry reactions toward his player box while the crowd rallied behind the energetic Italian underdog.
Cobolli continued to push the second seed deep into the contest with fearless shot-making and tireless movement. The fourth set proved especially dramatic as Zverev twice recovered from a break deficit before Cobolli edged a tense tiebreak to force a deciding fifth set.
But after nearly four hours of intense tennis, experience finally proved decisive. Zverev regrouped magnificently in the final set, overpowering the tiring Italian to complete one of the defining victories of his career. The title marked the 25th ATP crown of his career and further cemented his place among the elite players of his generation.
The German also joined an exclusive group of players to win titles at all four major ATP levels — Grand Slams, Masters 1000 events, the ATP Finals and the Olympic Games — alongside Andre Agassi, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic.
For Cobolli, despite the heartbreaking defeat, the tournament represented a breakthrough moment. The 24-year-old leaves Paris after the best Grand Slam run of his career and is set to rise into the world’s top 10 rankings for the first time.
The financial rewards matched the prestige of the occasion. Zverev earned approximately $3.248 million for winning the men’s singles title, the largest payday of his career, while runner-up Cobolli collected more than $1.6 million.
Women’s champion Mirra Andreeva also received roughly $3.25 million after securing her maiden Grand Slam title in Paris, while finalist Maja Chwalinska earned over $1.6 million for her impressive run..
