Zverev claims French Open final spot with dominant win over Menšík

Zverev’s Path to the Roland-Garros Final

For Alexander Zverev, the victory over Menšík represents more than just another win; it is a recalibration. After dropping the third set, the 29-year-old regained his composure to close out the match, a sign of the resilience he claims was missing in earlier stages of his career. As reported by The Athletic, Zverev noted that his serve, once a source of vulnerability, is now a pillar of his confidence. Zverev fired 14 aces during the two-hour and 48-minute encounter, maintaining a 78% win rate on his first serve, a statistic that proved vital as the wind gusts on Court Philippe-Chatrier reached nearly 25 km/h, disrupting the rhythm of both competitors.

The match was played under windy conditions on Court Philippe-Chatrier, where both players struggled with early mishits. While Menšík utilized serve-and-volley tactics to stay competitive, Zverev’s baseline consistency proved too much for the Czech debutant, who was playing in his first major semifinal. According to AP News, Menšík had entered the match having spent nearly 16 hours on court during the tournament, a fatigue factor that became apparent as the match wore on. Menšík’s movement slowed noticeably in the fourth set, where he committed 12 unforced errors compared to just four from Zverev, who utilized deep, heavy topspin shots to push the younger player behind the baseline.

Cobolli and the Semifinal Shake-up

Sunday’s final features an unexpected matchup, as the draw opened up following the early exit of top-ranked players. Jannik Sinner struggled during the tournament’s first week, and two-time reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz withdrew before the start of the event due to a right wrist injury. This cleared the path for world No. 14 Flavio Cobolli, who reached his first major final after his semifinal opponent, Matteo Arnaldi, was forced to withdraw with a virus. Cobolli, who had never previously progressed beyond the third round of a major, has capitalized on a favorable path that saw his highest-ranked opponent prior to the final being the No. 12 seed.

Arnaldi’s exit was the result of a grueling tournament run. Having spent 19 hours and 42 minutes on court—the most for any player at a Grand Slam since 1991—Arnaldi was physically unable to continue. As the BBC detailed in its tournament coverage, the Italian was unable to eat or drink due to his illness, leaving Cobolli to advance via walkover. The medical team at Roland-Garros confirmed that Arnaldi was treated for severe gastroenteritis on Thursday night, but his condition did not improve sufficiently to meet the 11:00 a.m. local time deadline for match participation. Consequently, Cobolli enters the final with an extra day of rest, having not played a competitive set since his quarterfinal victory on Wednesday.

Legal Context and Previous Settlements

Zverev’s return to the French Open final occurs two years after the conclusion of a high-profile legal case in Berlin. On June 7, 2024, Zverev settled a case involving domestic abuse allegations brought by Brenda Patea. The Tiergarten District Court ended the proceedings without a verdict on guilt or innocence. In a statement provided to The New York Times, court officials clarified the parameters of the resolution.

“The decision is not a verdict and it is not a decision about guilt or innocence. One decisive factor for the court decision was that the witness has expressed her wish to end the trial. The defendant agreed to the termination of the case.”

Inga Wahlen, Tiergarten District Court spokesperson

As part of the settlement, Zverev paid €200,000 ($218,000), with €150,000 directed to the state treasury and the remainder distributed to non-profit organizations. His legal team reiterated that the discontinuation of the trial did not constitute an admission of guilt, maintaining the legal presumption of innocence. Since the settlement, Zverev has remained a member of the ATP Player Council, and his participation in major events has continued without interruption, though he has faced periodic questioning from media regarding his off-court conduct during press conferences throughout the 2025 and 2026 seasons.

Looking Toward the Championship

Zverev enters Sunday’s final with the weight of three previous major final losses—the 2020 U.S. Open, the 2024 French Open, and the 2025 Australian Open—behind him. Despite the pressure, he expressed a desire to move forward from his past experiences. As noted by Roland-Garros, Zverev remains focused on the intensity of the clay court, which he views as the surface most suited to his defensive game and heavy groundstrokes.

“You have to fight for every point, you have to play every point like it’s your last. This is the special and fun thing about Roland-Garros,” Zverev said following his semifinal win. His coach, Sergi Bruguera, emphasized in a post-match briefing that the tactical focus for the final will be neutralizing Cobolli’s aggressive forehand, which has been the catalyst for the Italian’s breakout run this fortnight. Zverev’s own coaching staff has identified his movement to the net as a key area of improvement, noting that he has successfully increased his net-approach success rate to 68% over the last five matches.

Whether he can finally shed the tag of the “best player to never win a major” depends on his ability to neutralize the momentum of Cobolli, who now stands as the final obstacle in Zverev’s quest for his first Grand Slam title. Cobolli has surged in the ATP rankings this year, moving from outside the top 50 to his current career-high of No. 14, largely due to his performance during the European clay-court swing. The final, scheduled for Sunday at 3:00 p.m. CET, will be broadcast globally, with the winner claiming a €2.5 million prize and 2,000 ranking points, which would elevate Zverev to the world No. 2 position regardless of the outcome of other tour events next week.

Zverev’s victory over Menšík cements his status as a Grand Slam contender, bringing him closer to fulfilling his long-held ambition of winning a major title.