John McEnroe reacts as Alexander Zverev claims his first Grand Slam title at the French Open

Alexander Zverev overcame Flavio Cobolli 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7, 6-1 to win the French Open men’s singles title.

Zverev looked in control early on, but Cobolli dug in and forced a deciding set. In the end, though, it was Zverev who pulled away late to finally get his hands on a major title. McEnroe praised Cobolli for how hard he pushed the new champion.

Zverev’s long-awaited triumph comes after several close calls earlier in his career. His first major final came at the US Open back in 2020, when he lost a five-set battle to Dominic Thiem. Since then, he’s reached six semi-finals without breaking through until now.

The German has been one of the most consistent players on tour for years without ever quite getting over the line at a Slam. Now that he has his first title under his belt, it could open the door to more success in majors down the line.

McEnroe reacts to Zverev’s first Grand Slam title: ‘It’s something else’

“It must’ve been 10 years [ago] I met him; he was talking about it way back when,” McEnroe said. “Everyone anticipated he would win some, at least one. All the goings on and everything that’s transpired since, to see him finally do it, is something else.”

“To get over the hump because there were starting to be real questions whether it would happen. It’s all worth it now.”

Zverev had lost his first three Grand Slam finals, leading many to question if he would ever get over the line. This time around, things seemed to fall into place for Zverev as his main competition stumbled along the way.

Carlos Alcaraz couldn’t defend his title due to injury, while both Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic exited before the quarter-finals.

Zverev came into Sunday as the clear favourite and managed to handle those expectations. He dealt with a comeback from Cobolli before pulling away in the fifth set.

If Zverev hadn’t managed to beat Cobolli, you’d have struggled to find many people who still believed he could win a major.

The crowd wanted something even more out of Cobolli against Alexander Zverev in Paris on Sunday afternoon.

Alexander Zverev’s next task: Proving himself at Wimbledon

On paper, Zverev’s track record at the Australian Open, French Open, and US Open stands up well alongside other Grand Slam winners.

But his performances at Wimbledon are a different story entirely. The grass courts of SW19 have never suited him, and he has never advanced past the fourth round.

Last year, he was knocked out in the first round by Arthur Rinderknech, following exits in the fourth and third rounds in the two previous tournaments.

This year, Zverev will arrive as the world number three. Despite his ranking, many fans remain hesitant to back him as a serious contender on grass until he shows improvement on that surface.

Zverev’s attempt to break that pattern starts when play begins on Monday, 29 June 2026.

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