PARIS — Jannik Sinner’s journey ended prematurely, while Carlos Alcaraz stepped back from the competition due to an injury.
All eyes are on Alexander Zverev, who has felt the weight of expectation to clinch his first Grand Slam title. Now, the second-seeded German stands just one match away from claiming the prestigious French Open trophy.
Zverev secured his spot in the fourth major final of his career after a challenging matchup against 20-year-old Jakub Mensik, finishing with scores of 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in the semifinals at Roland Garros on Friday.
In the finals this Sunday, Zverev is set to square off against the 14th-ranked Flavio Cobolli.
Cobolli advanced to the final after 104th-ranked Matteo Arnaldi withdrew from their all-Italian semifinal due to illness.
Since the top-ranked Sinner faced difficulties during the early rounds—failing to capitalize on a two-set and 5-1 lead against Juan Manuel Cerundolo—Zverev has emerged as the clear favorite for the title.
Alcaraz, the reigning champion for two years, exited the tournament with a right wrist injury prior to its commencement.
The 27th-ranked Mensik, competing in his first Grand Slam semifinal, faced challenges including five double faults.
After battling cramps that required assistance in a wheelchair last week, Mensik triumphed over Andrey Rublev in a grueling five-set match and moved past rising Brazilian talent João Fonseca in straight sets in the quarterfinals.
“He has defeated countless remarkable players. I knew this would be my toughest test yet, and I managed to come through. I’m thrilled,” said Zverev.
This will be Zverev’s second French Open final, having squandered a two-set lead against Alcaraz in the 2024 championship match.
He held an even greater advantage of two sets to none in the 2020 U.S. Open final but ultimately fell to Dominic Thiem. Furthermore, Zverev was outplayed in straight sets by Sinner during the 2025 Australian Open final.
Despite a cloudy and breezy start, the roof was open on Court Philippe-Chatrier, and both players encountered early mishits.
Mensik frequently employed serve-and-volley tactics, while Zverev showcased unwavering consistency from the baseline on the red clay court.
Mensik committed two double faults late in the first set, leading to Zverev’s first break.
Zverev broke again early in the second set after chasing down a drop shot from Mensik, pushing the score to 5-2 with another double fault from Mensik.
At the start of the third set, Mensik received treatment for his neck and took a brief medical timeout.
Upon resuming play, Zverev tested Mensik with expertly angled shots, forcing the Czech player to frantically toss his racket at a ball he couldn’t reach.
Cheers of “Sascha” rang through the crowd, which also aimed to rally behind Mensik with chants of “Let’s go, Mensik, Let’s go.”
Mensik ignited the crowd with two skillfully executed drop shots that allowed him to break Zverev’s serve and seize a 4-2 lead in the third set, pumping his fist in celebration.
That marked just the second set that Zverev dropped throughout the tournament.
“He started playing brilliantly in the third set,” Zverev reflected. “In best-of-five matches, you have to expect fluctuations. Opponents will elevate their game. You must adapt. I did, and I look forward to a great match on Sunday.”
As Mensik charged the net off a sliced serve in the fourth set, Zverev utilized his impressive reach to produce a remarkable cross-court return that dove past Mensik’s outstretched racket. Mensik could only smile, perhaps realizing in that moment that Zverev’s skill level was just too great.
Just moments after Zverev’s last Grand Slam final in Australia in 2025, a voice in the arena called out the names of two of his former girlfriends who accused him of physical abuse.
One case reached resolution via an agreement between Zverev, his attorneys, and German prosecutors. The ATP Tour investigated another, concluding that there was insufficient evidence.
