Tennis player Alexander Zverev has become a Grand Slam champion for the first time. At the French Open 2026 men's singles final, which took place on Sunday, Alexander Zverev defeated Italian Flavio Cobolli in five sets with a score of 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-1. This victory lasted four hours and 16 minutes. For Zverev, this championship will be his first in Grand Slam tournaments, considering that he was unsuccessful in three other finals before.

This World No. 3 tennis player failed to win in the finals of the 2020 US Open, 2024 French Open, and the 2025 Australian Open. Now Zverev has managed to play superbly and win a Grand Slam tournament for the first time. The player felt very emotional when winning the fifth set. This long-awaited success marked a new chapter in his career.

Tennis legend Rafael Nadal, who has won the French Open a record 14 times, congratulated Zverev on social media, writing, "Congratulations to Alexander Zverev on winning the Roland Garros title. After years of hard work and struggle, this success was completely yours. You have been chasing your first Grand Slam for a long time, and you thoroughly deserve it."

Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar also praised Zverev, saying, "Sometimes it takes a long time for tennis players to see their hard work pay off." It was great to see Alexander Zverev win his first Grand Slam. I always thought he was a special player. Flavio Cobolli also played brilliantly. Both players gave their best.

With this victory, Zverev etched his name in German tennis history. He became the first German male player to win the French Open since Heiner Henkel in 1937. He also became the first German male player to win a Grand Slam title since Boris Becker's victory at the 1996 Australian Open.

The journey of several prominent players ended earlier than expected at the 2026 French Open. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner struggled in the early rounds, while 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic also withdrew from the tournament. Meanwhile, two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the tournament due to injury. Under these circumstances, Zverev seized the opportunity and made history by winning the biggest title of his career.