Alexander Zverev etched his name in German tennis history with his victory at Roland Garros on Sunday.
By defeating Flavio Cobolli in the championship match, Zverev became the first German man to win Roland Garros since Henner Henkel in 1937, ending an 89-year wait for a German men's singles champion in Paris.
The 29-year-old is just the third German man in the Open Era (since 1968) to win a major title, joining Boris Becker and Michael Stich. Becker won six major crowns between 1985 and 1996, while Stich lifted the Wimbledon trophy in 1991. Before Zverev's triumph, no German man had won a major since Becker claimed the 1996 Australian Open.
Zverev's achievement also enhances one of the most accomplished résumés on the Tour. Before arriving in Paris, the 29-year-old had already amassed two Nitto ATP Finals titles, seven ATP Masters 1000 crowns and an Olympic singles gold medal. Yet a major triumph had remained just out of reach.
Zverev entered the Roland Garros final carrying a 0-3 record in major championship matches. He fell to Dominic Thiem in the 2020 US Open final after holding a two-set lead, lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the 2024 Roland Garros final and came up short against Jannik Sinner in the 2025 Australian Open title match.
Read more from Paris:
Zverev wins first major title at RG, completes lifelong dream
Inside Zverev's journey to Grand Slam glory
Best of 2026 RG through photos: Triumphs, surprises & goodbyes
Following his loss in Melbourne, Zverev became just the eighth man in the Open Era to lose his first three Grand Slam finals. Eight-time major champion Andre Agassi, Wimbledon winner Goran Ivanisevic and US Open champion Thiem all captured their first major in their fourth finals.
On Sunday, however, Zverev rebounded from disappointment to become the first first-time major winner since Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open in 2024.
The German, who reached a career-high No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings in 2022, has now won 25 tour-level titles. He also helped Germany claim the United Cup title in 2024.
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