Zverev Says Winning His First Grand Slam Frees Him After French Open Victory

Germany tennis star Alexander Zverev said that winning his first Grand Slam title at the 2026 French Open has given him a sense of freedom and a calmer mindset for future finals.

In a dramatic five‑set men’s final (6‑1, 4‑6, 6‑4, 6‑7, 6‑1), Zverev defeated Flavio Cobolli at Roland‑Garros, ending the label of the best player without a major.

Speaking with the Roland‑Garros website, Zverev explained that reaching this career milestone has lifted a huge amount of pressure, as his status as a Grand Slam champion can never be taken back, regardless of what happens next.

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“Now no matter what happens, I will always be a Grand Slam champion, and nobody can take that away from me,” Zverev added.

“To be honest, I’m a little bit drunk already, so I just repeat myself a bit more than I’m used to. I’m just happy to be sitting next to this trophy.”

“For sure this trophy helps the belief a lot.”

“That does give me some freedom. It does give me some — maybe my mind will just be a little bit calmer when I play a final, meaning that even if I lose it, I will still be a Grand Slam champion.”

“I think this trophy for me is very important, because if I would have lost this one, the self‑belief would have gone down a lot. But now that I’ve won it, I feel like I can do it again.”

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“I was just very tight today. I honestly feel like I’ve managed the last two weeks extremely well, because with all the losses that happened early on with Jannik Sinner going out, with Novak Djokovic going out, I managed to stay composed, I managed to stay calm in my mind.”

“But then today I feel like I didn’t manage so well.”