German tennis star Alexander Zverev has expressed confidence that winning his maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open will pave the way for further success at tennis’ biggest tournaments after years of falling short on the sport’s biggest stage.
Zverev ended his long wait for a major title on Sunday, defeating Flavio Cobolli 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1 in the final of French Open at Roland Garros.
The victory came at the fourth attempt for the 29-year-old, who had previously suffered heartbreaking defeats in Grand Slam finals at the 2020 US Open, the 2024 French Open, and the 2025 Australian Open. Those setbacks had earned him the unwanted label of the best player yet to win a major title.
Speaking after his breakthrough triumph, Zverev joked that he would not mind if critics now regarded him as “the worst player to win a Grand Slam,” insisting that securing the title was all that mattered.
“Now no matter what happens, I will always be a Grand Slam champion, and nobody can take that away from me,” he said.
The Olympic gold medallist admitted he was still overwhelmed by the achievement, saying the victory had lifted a significant mental burden that had accompanied his previous Grand Slam campaigns.
According to Zverev, winning the Coupe des Mousquetaires has strengthened his belief that he can claim more major titles in the future.
“This trophy helps the belief a lot,” he said. “Even if I lose another final, I will still be a Grand Slam champion. If I had lost this one, my self-belief would have suffered. Now that I’ve won it, I feel like I can do it again.”
Despite entering the final as the favourite, Zverev acknowledged that the pressure affected his performance against world number 14 Cobolli.
He said he had managed expectations well throughout the tournament, particularly after the early exits of leading contenders, including Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic, but struggled to remain relaxed during the championship match.
“I was a lot more nervous today,” Zverev admitted. “I managed to stay composed throughout the tournament, but in the final I felt much tighter.”
The German revealed that he experienced what he described as “mental cramps” during the contest, a factor he believes ultimately helped him secure victory after a gruelling four-hour, 16-minute battle on Court Philippe Chatrier.
According to Zverev, the physical and mental strain forced him to stop overthinking and play with greater freedom in the decisive fifth set.
“I started swinging more freely and hitting the ball more aggressively,” he said. “I couldn’t focus on being tight anymore. I had to let go, and that’s why I played the fifth set the way I did.”
The victory marks a defining moment in Zverev’s career and could signal the beginning of a new chapter as he seeks to add more Grand Slam titles to his collection.
