Alexander Zverev wins 2026 French Open to capture his first Grand Slam title after years of near-misses

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Alexander Zverev is no longer the best men's tennis player without a Grand Slam title.

After years of near-misses, collapses, injuries, brutal draws and uncomfortable questions about whether he had the nerve to finish the job on the sport's biggest stage, Zverev finally broke through Sunday at Roland Garros.

"You can strip the labels. Sascha Zverev is now, and forever, a Grand Slam champion," TNT play-by-play announcer Brian Anderson exclaimed as the German claimed the final point.

Alexander Zverev poses with the Coupe des Mousquetaires Trophy after defeating Flavio Cobolli in the men's singles final at the 2026 French Open. (Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

Zverev defeated Flavio Cobolli, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-1, to win the 2026 French Open and capture the first major championship of his career.

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It was a long time coming.

Zverev had already reached three Grand Slam finals before this tournament. He lost the 2020 U.S. Open final to Dominic Thiem after taking a two-set lead. He lost the 2024 French Open final to Carlos Alcaraz after holding a two-sets-to-one advantage. He lost the 2025 Australian Open final to Jannik Sinner in straight sets.

For most of his career, Zverev was defined by those losses. He was always a great player, even elite at times. He won an Olympic gold medal. He's been ranked as high as the No. 2 player in the world, and has been entrenched in the top five since April 2024.

But he had never won a major.

Now, finally, he has.

Zverev's off-the-court legacy is more complicated. He has faced domestic abuse allegations from two former