German Alexander Zverev’s reaction after winning the final tennis match against Italian Flavio Copoli at the French Open in Paris (AP Photo)
Alexander Zverev’s long wait for a Grand Slam title is finally over.The German star claimed the first major championship of his career on Sunday, defeating Italian Flavio Copoli 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-1 in the Roland Garros final. The victory came in Zverev’s fourth Grand Slam final, ending years of failure on tennis’ biggest stages. When Copoli sent a ball wide of the goal to give Zverev the second point of the tournament after a marathon competition that lasted more than four hours, the third seed collapsed on the clay courts in celebration. Overcome with emotion, Zverev lay on his back before covering his face with his hands as tears flowed. Eventually, covered in red clay at Roland Garros, he rose to acknowledge the moment before he raised his arms in triumph. The title places Zverev among a select group of players who have captured their first major championship in a fourth Grand Slam final.
The list includes former champions Andre Agassi, Goran Ivanisevic and Dominic Thiem. The path to the title has opened up significantly for Zverev after several of the biggest names in the sport exited the tournament. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner has endured a tough campaign and squandered a two-set, 5-1 lead against Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round. A day later, Novak Djokovic also exited the tournament, while two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz withdrew before the tournament due to a right wrist injury.
For Zverev, the victory was especially important given his previous disappointments in Grand Slam finals. He had a two sets to one lead against Alcaraz in the 2024 French Open final before losing. Earlier, he squandered a two-set lead against Dominic Thiem in the 2020 US Open final and lost in straight sets to Sinner in the 2025 Australian Open title match. The French Open crown is the 25th ATP title of Zverev’s career. Meanwhile, Coppoli was appearing in the biggest game of his career. The 14th-seeded Italian had never progressed beyond the quarter-finals at a Grand Slam before this tournament and was hoping to become the first Italian player to win the Roland Garros singles title since Adriano Panatta’s win in 1976. Panatta, who came from the same tennis club in Rome as Copoli, was invited to present the Coupe des Mousquetaires on the 50th anniversary of his victory.
But in the end, the trophy went to Zverev. The German player dominated the early stages of the competition, breaking her serve in the first half, then clinching the first set. Coppoli gradually returned to the game, buoyed by vocal support from his team and the Italian fans in the stands. He even forced a decider after recovering from 3-1 down in the fourth set tiebreak and clinching it with a forehand down the line. But the efforts seem to have had an impact. Copuli’s physical performance declined in the fifth set, which allowed Zverev to take complete control of the match and achieve victory. The men’s final came after the victory of young Russian Mira Andreeva in the women’s singles competition on Saturday, at the end of an unforgettable two weeks at Roland Garros.