Koboli defeated in a bloody 4-hour struggle, won the French Open crown after waiting for 125 matches

Leaving behind years of long wait, constant disappointment and the merciless game of fate in the world of tennis, Germany’s star player Alexander Zverev has registered his name in golden letters in the pages of history. In the high-voltage men’s singles final match of the French Open 2026 played on the prestigious red-gravel Philippe Chatrier court of Paris, Zverev achieved the feat that every tennis player dreams of. He won the first Grand Slam title of his career by defeating Italy’s young sensation Flavio Coboli in a very exciting and breath-taking 5-set match. With this historic title win, Zverev not only erased the ‘choker’ stain on his forehead, but also ended the 30-year-old drought of German tennis.

The fight on the court lasted for 4 hours and 16 minutes, Zverev showed his fierce form in the fifth set

On Sunday night, the Roland Garros court of Paris became witness to such a historic battle, which continued continuously for about 4 hours and 16 minutes. Alexander Zverev defeated 10th seed Flavio Coboli of Italy 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-1. Zverev started the match like a storm and won the set 6-1 in just a few minutes without giving Koboli a chance to move in the first set. But Italian player Coboli was also in no mood to accept defeat. He made a brilliant comeback by breaking Zverev’s serve in the seventh game of the second set and leveled the match by winning the set 6-4. During the entire match, long rallies on the baseline and fierce tug of war for one point each were seen between both the players.

The thrill of the tiebreak and Zverev’s experience, which shattered Koboli’s hopes

In the third set too, both the stalwarts gave their all, but at the crucial juncture of the set, Koboli’s own unforced error cost them dearly. Zverev took full advantage of this opportunity and took the lead in the match again by winning the set 6-4. In the fourth set, it seemed that Zverev would easily win the match, but in the most critical moments of pressure, his rhythm suddenly deteriorated. Koboli took full advantage of this relaxation and played aggressively and won the fourth set 7-6 (5) in the tiebreaker and dragged the match into the fifth and deciding set. However, when it came to the biggest decision of life, Zverev’s years of experience and his amazing mental strength came in handy. In the fifth set, he did not let Koboli run and won the set 6-1 in a one-sided manner and won the shining trophy.

The first German to do so after Boris Becker, created a unique world record in the open era.

This is the most golden and emotional moment of 29-year-old Alexander Zverev’s career. Before this, he had reached the Grand Slam finals three times and lost the trophy very closely, which also included the French Open final of the year 2024. With this grand victory, Zverev has become the first German male player to win a Grand Slam singles title in the last 30 years. Before him, in 1996, great tennis player Boris Becker had won the Australian Open title. Apart from this, Zverev has also made a unique record in the history of tennis which will be impossible to break. She has won her first major title after registering her 125th match win in Grand Slam history. Till date in the history of the Open Era, no player had to wait so long for so many wins for his first Grand Slam.

The pressure increased after the departure of Djokovic and Sinner, the winners emerged victorious after overcoming the challenges.

This entire season of French Open 2026 was full of big ups and downs and thrills. In the absence of defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, the likes of world number one Jannik Sinner and 24-time all-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic were eliminated from the tournament even before the start of the second week. In such a situation, the eyes of tennis experts and fans were completely focused on Zverev and there was tremendous mental pressure on him to win the title. But Zverev made this huge pressure on the red gravel of Paris his strength and emerged victorious from every challenge. This title win is not only being seen as the rebirth of Zverev’s individual career, but it is also being considered as the beginning of a new and golden era of German tennis.