Alexander Zverev is only one win away from bagging that elusive Grand slam title after the second-seeded German made it to the finals of the French Open.
Zverev moved into the fourth Grand Slam final of his career after defeating 20-year-old Jakub Mensik 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in the French Open semifinals on Friday.
The German will now face Italy’s Flavio Cobolli in Sunday’s final.
Cobolli reached the title clash after fellow Italian Matteo Arnaldi was forced to pull out of their semifinal because of illness. Arnaldi, ranked 104th in the world, said he had been vomiting overnight and felt too weak to take the court.
“I tried to get ready, but every time I stand up, I feel dizzy,” Arnaldi said. “I can’t move properly, eat or drink, so there was no way I could play.”
Arnaldi’s withdrawal ended a remarkable run. He had spent nearly 20 hours on court during the tournament, the most by any player at a Grand Slam since 1991.
Zverev has been seen as the favourite for the title for much of the tournament. Top seed Jannik Sinner struggled in the extreme heat during the opening week and let slip a two-set lead and a 5-1 advantage against Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round. Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz also pulled out before the tournament due to a wrist injury.
Mensik, playing in his first Grand Slam semifinal, found it difficult to maintain consistency and committed five double faults. Despite the loss, the Czech youngster enjoyed an impressive run, beating Andrey Rublev in a five-set thriller and overcoming rising Brazilian star Joao Fonseca in the quarterfinals.
“He beat so many great players, so I knew this would be my toughest match of the tournament,” Zverev said. “I managed to get through it, and I’m happy.”
It will be Zverev’s second French Open final. Last year, he led Carlos Alcaraz by two sets to one in the title match before eventually losing.
The 28-year-old has come close to winning a Grand Slam before. He let a two-set lead slip in the 2020 US Open final against Dominic Thiem and lost to Jannik Sinner in the 2025 Australian Open final.
However, Zverev is not dwelling on those disappointments.
“That’s in the past,” he said. “I’m not thinking too much about it before Sunday.”
