Zverev: 'The Roland Garros title gives me freedom'

Following an extended spell of anticipation, Alexander Zverev at last secured his maiden Grand Slam victory at the 2026 French Open.

After repeatedly missing out on the biggest titles for years, Alexander Zverev finally got his hands on his first Grand Slam trophy when he defeated Flavio Cobolli 6-1; 4-6; 6-4; 6-7; 6-1 in the 2026 Roland Garros final which concluded in the early hours of June 8th Vietnam time.

The title in Paris enabled Zverev to end his unfortunate run of losses in Grand Slam finals. Earlier, the 29-year-old had fallen in the US Open 2020, Roland Garros 2024, and Australian Open 2025 championship matches. As a result, he was often described as one of the finest players never to have won a Grand Slam.

At the post-match press conference, the Tokyo Olympic champion could not contain his emotions while speaking about this special milestone.

"Now, no matter what happens for the rest of my career, I will always be a Grand Slam champion and nobody can take that away from me.", Zverev shared with a contented smile.

The German player even jokingly stated he would not mind being called "the worst player ever to win a Grand Slam", because the key thing is that he finally realized the dream he had pursued for many years.

According to Sascha, the trophy Coupe des Mousquetaires not only carries significance in terms of achievement but also helped him relieve the mental burden that had weighed on him in major matches.

"I think this title brings freedom. Even if I lose in future finals, I am still a Grand Slam champion. That gives me much more confidence.", he said.

Despite being regarded as a top favorite after several big names like Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic exited early, Zverev acknowledged he felt tremendous pressure in the final against Cobolli.

"I was really tense today. At times I felt I couldn't control my emotions. But then that very tension forced me to let go and play more freely.", the German player shared.