Alexander Zverev is one win from a long-awaited Grand Slam title after reaching the French Open final on Friday, advancing through a tournament marked as much by endurance and attrition as by elite shot-making.
The second-seeded German defeated 20-year-old Jakub Menšík 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in the semifinals at Roland Garros, weathering a brief surge from the Czech player before closing out the match with greater consistency from the baseline. He will meet Flavio Cobolli in Sunday’s final after the Italian advanced when Matteo Arnaldi withdrew before their semifinal due to illness.
Arnaldi’s withdrawal underscored the physical toll of the tournament. The 23-year-old Italian had spent nearly 20 hours on court across earlier rounds, one of the heaviest workloads of any player at a recent major, and reported severe illness overnight that left him unable to compete. Cobolli progressed directly into his first Grand Slam final.
The broader context of the draw has amplified attention on Zverev’s opportunity. Top-ranked Jannik Sinner exited early after a physically draining opening week, while defending champion Carlos Alcaraz withdrew before the tournament with a right wrist injury. The result has left Zverev as the most accomplished remaining contender deep in the second week.
For Zverev, the stakes are familiar. The 27-year-old is now into his fourth Grand Slam final and remains in search of his first major title, having previously come close on multiple occasions. He lost the 2020 U.S. Open final to Dominic Thiem after leading by two sets, fell in five sets to Alcaraz in last year’s French Open final, and was beaten in straight sets by Sinner in the 2025 Australian Open final.
Despite that history, Zverev has consistently insisted he does not carry those defeats into new matches.
“I don’t try to think too much about it,” he said earlier in the tournament when asked about past finals.
Against Menšík, Zverev faced a younger opponent making his first Grand Slam semifinal appearance and attempting to disrupt rhythm with aggressive, forward-moving tennis. The Czech player’s risk-taking produced both flashes of success and costly errors, including five double faults that proved decisive at key moments.
The match began in uneven conditions under an overcast sky at Court Philippe-Chatrier, where wind affected timing for both players. With the roof open, rallies were often shaped by mis-hits and cautious early exchanges as each player adjusted to the environment.
Menšík’s approach centered on shortening points through serve-and-volley tactics and early strikes off the return. Zverev, by contrast, leaned on depth from the baseline and heavier topspin to push his opponent into extended exchanges on clay.
The first set tightened late when Menšík produced consecutive double faults to concede a break. Zverev then stabilized his service games and gradually took control of the tempo.
In the second set, Zverev capitalized on a drop shot retrieval to earn an early break and quickly built a 5-2 lead after another double fault from Menšík. The German’s ability to absorb pace and redirect rallies toward Menšík’s backhand side increasingly dictated the pattern of play.
Menšík left the court briefly in the third set for medical treatment after discomfort in his neck area. When he returned, he showed improved timing and began taking more aggressive positions, breaking Zverev at 4-2 and briefly shifting momentum as the crowd responded with increased energy.
But Zverev steadied quickly. Rather than matching aggression, he increased shot tolerance, extending rallies and forcing Menšík into higher error rates. The German’s ability to absorb pressure without overextending became the defining feature of the final two sets.
By the fourth set, Menšík’s energy waned under sustained baseline pressure. Zverev’s superior court positioning and shot selection eventually created the decisive gap, allowing him to close out the match in four sets.
“He started playing amazing in the third set,” Zverev said afterward. “You know in best-of-five matches things will happen. You have to manage it, and I did.”
Zverev now returns to a Grand Slam final with another opportunity to end a long-running pattern of near misses at the sport’s biggest stage. His previous defeats have included both five-set collapses and straight-set losses, leaving him still without a major title despite sustained top-tier consistency.
Sunday’s final against Cobolli presents a different dynamic. The Italian enters without the fatigue of a full semifinal but also without the competitive rhythm of having completed the round. Zverev, meanwhile, carries match sharpness and extensive experience in high-pressure finals.
The French Open conclusion will therefore hinge not only on form but on how each player manages contrasting physical and psychological conditions at the end of a tournament defined by attrition.
For Zverev, it is another chance to finally convert repeated contention into a championship.
