‘No Way That’s in the Rules’ – Alexander Zverev’s ‘Questionable’ Act During French Open Final Stuns Tennis World

Alexander Zverev has finally won his maiden Grand Slam title at the 2026 French Open, ending a long wait that included three painful defeats in Major finals. However, amid the celebrations, a controversial moment during his clash with Flavio Cobolli has drawn criticism, with respected tennis figures like Jim Courier and Brad Gilbert questioning the incident.

How Alexander Zverev Stirred Controversy During the French Open Final

Zverev looked in complete control early in his battle with Flavio Cobolli during the French Open final, clinching the first set 6-1. Although Cobolli rebounded to claim the second set, the world No. 3 regained his lead by taking the third.

After securing a crucial break to level the scores at 5-5 in the fourth set, Zverev displayed signs of physical discomfort and was seen receiving a drink and what appeared to be medication from Marcelo Melo courtside. Following the exchange, the German was handed a time violation before his serve.

While Melo does not hold an official coaching position within Zverev’s team, he is a familiar figure in the world No. 3’s player’s box and frequently accompanies him on tour. The duo also often plays doubles together, recently clinching the doubles title at the Mexican Open.

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However, Melo handing Zverev a drink during the match stunned the tennis community. Former world No. 1 Jim Courier, who was commentating on the match for TNT Sports, emphasized that the incident broke established precedent and questioned how the German was allowed to engage with Melo when the physiotherapist was present.

“This is beyond precedent for me. The physio is right there. I’ve never seen a player be allowed to even engage with another player. Marcelo Melo is not part of the medical staff. What are they doing?” Courier said.

The commentary team further speculated that the drink may have been intended to manage cramps, possibly caused by Zverev’s Type 1 diabetes.

Brad Gilbert, the former coach of Andre Agassi and Coco Gauff, also expressed surprise, noting that, under standard protocol, drinks were delivered to the players by the ball kids.

“very surprised 😱 Melo handed Zverev a couple of drinks, normal protocol is to ball kidd then brings to your chair 🪑,” Gilbert said.

Tennis analyst Jon Wertheim also suggested that such an interaction was not allowed, while journalist Scott Barclay deemed it “questionable” that Zverev was allowed to receive medication in this manner.

“There’s no way that’s in the rules….,” Wertheim wrote.

“Watching one of Zverev’s team giving him medication between games during a set seems… questionable at best!” Barclay posted.

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Although Alexander Zverev went on to lose the fourth set in a tense tiebreak, he dominated the fifth set and claimed a 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1 victory to clinch his first Grand Slam title. Watching from the stands, Marcelo Melo was overcome with emotion, shedding tears after witnessing Zverev’s victory.