Zverev directly called out the current world No. 1 tennis player.

The German tennis star just broke his Grand Slam dry spell with a precious Roland Garros victory, during a tournament in which Sinner, Alcaraz, and Djokovic could not contend for the title for different reasons.

The championship Roland Garros 2026 has helped Alexander Zverev end his career-long Grand Slam drought, but the German player also frankly admitted that his path to the title became smoother because he did not have to face current world No. 1 Jannik Sinner.

In the final held on Philippe Chatrier court, Zverev defeated Flavio Cobolli in five sets with scores of 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(5-7), 6-1 to lift a Grand Slam trophy for the first time. This was his fourth appearance in a Major final, and he finally achieved a perfect ending after losses at the 2020 US Open, 2024 Roland Garros, and 2025 Australian Open.

Notably, Zverev did not face any world top-5 player on his journey to the crown. Cobolli, the No. 10 seed, was the highest-ranked opponent he encountered at this year's tournament. Meanwhile, a host of strong contenders such as Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, and Casper Ruud all exited early. The absence of defending champion Carlos Alcaraz due to injury also made the tournament situation more unpredictable.

Sharing after the title, Sascha admitted he felt lucky not to have faced Sinner, an opponent he had lost to nine consecutive times in their most recent meetings.

"Luckily, I didn't have to face Sinner at Roland Garros this year. That doesn't mean I don't want to play against him, because I'm very eager for the opportunity to face him at Wimbledon. However, currently he is the best player in the world.", Zverev said.

According to the German champion, what makes Sinner special is his ability to maintain constant pressure throughout the match.

"His playing style does not give opponents a single second of rest. He always attacks and makes you have no chance to find your rhythm.", the German-born Russian player commented.

Although his path to the title was considered as smooth as could be, Sascha affirmed that this title still carries special significance. After many years being labeled as "the best player never to win a Grand Slam," he finally broke the pressure that had weighed heavily on his career.

Immediately after the victory, Zverev received congratulations from many tennis legends, including Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.