Zverev wins Roland Garros, first Grand Slam title
Alexander Zverev ended his four-finals drought at Roland Garros 2026, beating Flavio Cobolli 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1 for his first Grand Slam title — 1,465 days after leaving the same court in a wheelchair. Mirra Andreeva, 19, won the women's title over qualifier Maja Chwalińska, becoming the youngest RG champion since Seles (1992). Both were first-time major winners, an Open Era first. Rankings, injuries, and the newly opened grass season are covered.
For the first time in the Open Era, both singles trophies at the same Grand Slam went to players who had never won a major before. Alexander Zverev (Germany, 29) lifted the Coupe des Mousquetaires on Sunday after a five-set men's final against Flavio Cobolli — his fourth Grand Slam final appearance and his first victory. Twenty-four hours earlier, Mirra Andreeva (Russia, 19) took the Coupe Suzanne-Lenglen without dropping a set in the final, routing qualifier Maja Chwalińska 6-3, 6-2 in 82 minutes. 12
Neither draw had a former Roland Garros champion reach the quarterfinals — also an Open Era first, and the first major since 1977 with no former champions in the semifinals of either event. 3
Loading content card…
Men's final: Zverev defeats Cobolli in five sets after 4+ hours
On Court Philippe-Chatrier on Sunday June 7, Zverev beat Cobolli (Italy, seed 10) 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1 in a match that took more than four hours. The outcome was rarely in doubt on a set-by-set basis, yet the fourth set nearly scrambled it completely. 4
Zverev opened with a clinical first set, Cobolli steadied in the second, and Zverev edged ahead again in the third. In the fourth, trailing 6-5, Zverev accepted a medical timeout on his right thigh. He'd built a 3-1 lead in the tiebreak before Cobolli reversed it and won 7-5 with a forehand winner down the line — suddenly the match was even again. It didn't stay that way. Zverev broke twice in the fifth and ran out to 4-0 before Cobolli's legs gave out. On the championship point, Cobolli missed an overhead, and Zverev dropped onto his back in the clay, covered his face with both hands, and began sobbing. 4
"I have had the best moments and the worst moment of my life on this court. I was laid in that corner four years ago with seven broken ligaments and two fractured bones. I lost a Grand Slam final here two years ago. But now, finally, it is a happy ending." — Alexander Zverev 5
The reference to "that corner four years ago" is not rhetorical. At the 2022 Roland Garros semifinal against Rafael Nadal, Zverev twisted his right ankle mid-rally on the same court, tore seven ligaments and fractured two bones, and was pushed off in a wheelchair. He returned to the Tour 14 months later. He'd lost in the final at the 2024 French Open, then to Novak Djokovic at the 2025 Australian Open. Sunday was his 25th career title and his first Grand Slam.
He is the fourth man to win his first major on his fourth final — joining Andre Agassi, Goran Ivanisevic, and Dominic Thiem. 5 He is also the first German man to win Roland Garros since Henner Henkel in 1937, and the first German man to win any Grand Slam singles title since Boris Becker at the 1996 Australian Open. 1
Zverev reported that cramping in the deciding set actually helped him relax: "I was very nervous, very kind of tightened up, and then, once I cramped, I relaxed, and that helped me." 6 His first-serve percentage in the final set hit 100%, landing 14 consecutive first serves.
Rafael Nadal, watching from home, posted a message on social media: "Congratulations Alexander Zverev on winning Roland Garros. So well deserved after all the hard work and perseverance. You've been chasing your first Grand Slam for a long time and you absolutely deserve it." 5
For Cobolli (Italy, 24), ranked No. 14 coming in, the final was a personal milestone regardless. He is the first Italian man in the Roland Garros men's final since Adriano Panatta in 1976 — who was on court to present the trophy, this year marking the 50th anniversary of his title. Cobolli's road to the final included a four-set comeback win over seed 4 Félix Auger-Aliassime (4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4) in the quarterfinals 7, and a walkover semifinal after Matteo Arnaldi withdrew ill (more below). Cobolli debuts in the ATP top 10 this week at No. 10, his career high. 8
After the final, Cobolli said plainly: "He deserved it more than me at the end of the match." 9
Men's semifinals: Zverev over Menšík; Arnaldi withdraws ill
Friday's first semifinal: Zverev beat Czech 20-year-old Jakub Menšík (seed 26) 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. Menšík — who needed seven match points to get past João Fonseca in the quarterfinals — showed in the third set that he was still fighting, winning it 6-3 after a neck treatment, but Zverev broke twice early in the fourth and didn't look back. 10 Menšík rises to No. 17 ATP, a career high, up 10 spots.
Friday's second semifinal never happened. About 25 minutes before Cobolli and Arnaldi were due on court, Arnaldi (Italy, ranked No. 104) announced he was too ill to play — vomiting since 1 a.m., fever, unable to eat or drink. Cobolli advanced on a walkover, only the third Grand Slam semifinal walkover in the Open Era. 11 Arnaldi described feeling: "I can't move, and I can't eat, and I can't drink… there was really no way that I will be able to play." 12
Cobolli, who heard the news in his hotel room, said: "When he came to me almost one hour ago, I almost cried. It's something that you don't expect at all." Both players attended a joint press conference afterward. 11
The semifinal pairing had already made history regardless: it would have been the first all-Italian Grand Slam men's singles semifinal in the Open Era. Arnaldi's run from the world No. 104 position — through five matches including two five-set battles, logging the most on-court hours of any Roland Garros semifinalist since 1991 — was itself a story, as was his ironic exit: he had reached the last four because Matteo Berrettini retired against him with a hip injury in the quarterfinals, then was forced out himself.
Women's final: Andreeva's dominant run concludes in 82 minutes
On Saturday June 6, Mirra Andreeva (seed 8) ran out of a position from which there wasn't much of a comeback. She won the first set 6-3, led 5-0 in the second, Chwalińska took two games back as the wind shifted ends, and Andreeva closed out 6-2. Time: 1 hour 22 minutes. 13
At 19 years and 1 month, Andreeva is the youngest Roland Garros women's champion since Monica Seles in 1992. She conceded 17 total games across her final four matches — a figure only Seles (1992) and Steffi Graf (1988, 1993) have bettered en route to an RG title. 2 She is the first Grand Slam champion born after 2005, her sixth WTA singles title overall, and the 32nd different women's champion in Roland Garros history.
At the trophy ceremony, Andreeva wore a black jacket with "I WANT TO THANK MYSELF — MIRRA" printed on the front, adapted from a Snoop Dogg phrase she had used in her post-match speech, half-jokingly at first. In the press conference she explained: "I also want to thank myself for believing in myself. For giving 100% even when it's been tough, trying every day to be better as a person and a player, believing I can do this, fighting so many demons inside of me. Only I know how tough it was for me and how nervous I was these past two weeks." 14
She added — in a line that says something about the mental shift after a first major — "I'm already thinking of how I'm going to prepare for the grass season and how I'm going to play. I feel like this thing is a little bit addicting." 14
Maria Sharapova, watching from her Instagram account, wrote: "Proud of you Mirra Andreeva. The celebration says it all. Excited, but not satisfied." 14
Andreeva's coach is Conchita Martínez (the 1994 Wimbledon champion), who has worked with her since 2024, and her psychologist Alexis Castorri (who previously worked with Andy Murray) introduced a technique of visualizing a large stop sign to break on-court emotional spirals.
Chwalińska's qualifier story
Maja Chwalińska (Poland, 24, ranked No. 114) completed the most improbable run of the fortnight. She played nine consecutive matches — three in qualifying, six in the main draw — to reach her first Grand Slam final. She beat four seeded players along the way: Mertens [23], Ann Li [30], Kalinskaya [22], and Shnaider [25] in the semifinal (7-6(9), 6-4). 2
She is only the second qualifier in the Open Era to reach a Grand Slam singles final, after Emma Raducanu at the 2021 US Open, and the first ever qualifier to reach the Roland Garros final. She is the third Polish major finalist in the Open Era (after Agnieszka Radwańska and Iga Świątek), and the lowest-ranked Roland Garros finalist in the tournament's history. 15
What the statistics don't show is that Chwalińska took an indefinite break from tennis in 2021 after a depression that left her, by her own account, unable to get out of bed: "I just couldn't get out of bed anymore. I was just lifeless. I knew that I needed to take a break. I honestly didn't know if I was going to come back or not." 16 She returned to the tour within months. Her ranking before this tournament: No. 114. Her ranking this Monday: No. 21.
After the final she said: "I'm definitely very grateful for this time, but yeah, it's in the past now. So I just need to continue to stay present and give my all to be a better player every day." 13
Post-RG rankings update (June 8)
The June 8 update reflects the full swap of 2025 Roland Garros points for 2026 results. Here are the most significant movements:
ATP top 10 (June 8)
| Rank | Change | Player | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | — | Jannik Sinner | ITA | 13,500 |
| 2 | — | Carlos Alcaraz | ESP | 9,960 |
| 3 | — | Alexander Zverev | GER | 7,305 |
| 4 | +2 | Félix Auger-Aliassime | CAN | 4,440 |
| 5 | — | Ben Shelton | USA | 3,920 |
| 6 | +1 | Alex de Minaur | AUS | 3,905 |
| 7 | +3 | Novak Djokovic | SRB | 3,760 |
| 8 | — | Daniil Medvedev | RUS | 3,760 |
| 9 | — | Taylor Fritz | USA | 3,720 |
| 10 | +4 | Flavio Cobolli | ITA | 3,540 |
The headline number is Zverev's net gain of +1,600 points (replacing a 2025 quarterfinal with the 2026 title). He stays at No. 3 but closes the gap to Alcaraz from 5,055 points to 2,655. Alcaraz, who withdrew from Roland Garros injured, shed 2,000 points (his 2025 title defense) and fell from 11,960 to 9,960. 17 Sinner, eliminated in Round 2 by Cerúndolo, lost approximately 1,250 points from his 2025 runner-up and held on at No. 1 with a still-substantial lead of 4,195 points over Alcaraz. 1718
Other notable moves: Menšík rises 10 to No. 17; Arnaldi jumps 70 to No. 34 on his semifinal run; Djokovic drops three spots to No. 7 (his lowest ranking since 2018 when he was recovering from a major elbow surgery); Musetti falls five to No. 16 as his 2025 semifinal points expire without a replacement result.
WTA top 10 (June 8)
| Rank | Change | Player | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | — | Aryna Sabalenka | BLR | 9,090 |
| 2 | — | Elena Rybakina | KAZ | 8,143 |
| 3 | — | Iga Świątek | POL | 6,733 |
| 4 | +1 | Jessica Pegula | USA | 6,056 |
| 5 | +1 | Amanda Anisimova | USA | 5,848 |
| 6 | +2 | Mirra Andreeva | RUS | 5,751 |
| 7 | +3 | Coco Gauff | USA | 4,879 |
| 8 | +1 | Elina Svitolina | UKR | 4,315 |
| 9 | — | Victoria Mboko | CAN | 3,670 |
| 10 | — | Karolína Muchová | CZE | 3,438 |
Andreeva rises to No. 6 (up 2), with her live ranking already touching No. 5 — a career high. Chwalińska's +93 spots to No. 21 is the biggest single-week jump in either ranking this cycle. Gauff drops three positions despite technically moving up the raw table, because she loses her 2025 title points (1,870) while only earning Round 3 points; she slips from No. 4 to No. 7. Zheng Qinwen, who lost in Round 1 to Chwalińska, falls to approximately No. 158. 1920
Injuries: the week's medical log
Matteo Berrettini (Italy, 30, No. 105) retired from his quarterfinal against Matteo Arnaldi on June 3, trailing 7-5, 5-2 in the second set, with a left hip injury. He told reporters: "I'm tired of retiring. I didn't want the tournament to end like this. But sometimes you have to make the right decision." 21 It was his first Roland Garros quarterfinal since 2021, after four consecutive years sidelined or early-exited.
Carlos Alcaraz (Spain, 23, No. 2) is confirmed out of the entire grass-court season — Queen's Club and Wimbledon included — with right wrist tenosynovitis (inflammation of the tendon sheath), first sustained at the Barcelona Open in April. He has now missed Roland Garros, and both grass warm-up events. In a statement, Alcaraz said his recovery is "going well" but he is "still not ready to compete," adding: "Queen's and Wimbledon are two truly special tournaments for me and I will miss them a lot." 22
Jannik Sinner's cramp-and-dehydration exit in Round 2 has not yet produced a medical statement. As of Monday June 8, no grass-season entries for Halle or Queen's have been confirmed publicly for Sinner.
Grass season begins: what to watch this week (June 8–14)
Three tournaments opened Monday:
BOSS Open Stuttgart (ATP 250, TC Weissenhof, €768,220): Zverev, Cobolli, and Menšík all withdrew after their Roland Garros campaigns. Ben Shelton (USA) took over as the top seed, joined by Taylor Fritz [2], Alexander Bublik [3], and Jiří Lehečka [4]. Seeds 1–4 receive first-round byes. The notable wildcard entry is Nick Kyrgios, who gets his first professional grass match in nearly three years Tuesday against 8th seed Corentin Moutet. Zverev is entered in Halle (June 15–21) and expected to open his grass season there. 23
Libema Open 's-Hertogenbosch (ATP/WTA 250 combined, Rosmalen, grass): On the men's side, Auger-Aliassime [1] and Medvedev [2] top the draw, with a wildcard for Alex de Minaur. On the women's side, two-time champion Ekaterina Alexandrova [1] leads, with Clara Tauson, Emma Navarro, and Barbora Krejčíková also in the draw. 24
HSBC Championships at Queen's Club (WTA 500, London, $1,915,000): Elena Rybakina [1] is the top seed. Four British players received main-draw wildcards: Katie Boulter, Francesca Jones, Harriet Dart, and Mika Stojsavljevic. Day 1 matches include Boulter vs Leylah Fernandez [8], Dart vs Liudmila Samsonova, and Jones vs Laura Siegemund. Emma Raducanu faces a qualifier. The headline doubles entry: Serena Williams, in her first professional tournament since the 2022 US Open, received a wildcard to compete alongside world No. 9 Victoria Mboko. 25
Week 2 and beyond
| Dates | Tournament | Tier | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 15–21 | Terra Wortmann Open Halle | ATP 500 | Germany |
| June 15–21 | cinch Championships Queen's Club | ATP 500 | London |
| June 15–21 | Berlin Open | WTA 500 | Germany |
| June 15–21 | Rothesay Open Nottingham | WTA 250 | UK |
| June 22–28 | Bad Homburg Open | WTA 500 | Germany |
| June 22–28 | Rothesay International Eastbourne | WTA 250 | UK |
| June 29 – July 13 | Wimbledon | Grand Slam | London |
Halle features a deep draw: Zverev [3], Auger-Aliassime [5], Shelton [6], Medvedev [7], Fritz [8], Bublik [10] (defending champion), Cobolli [12]. The men's Queen's draw has de Minaur as top seed; Alcaraz, the defending champion, is absent. Andreeva is confirmed for Bad Homburg in Week 3. Sinner's grass entries remain unannounced. 23242627
Cover image: Mirra Andreeva with the Coupe Suzanne-Lenglen after winning the 2026 Roland Garros women's final, June 6. Credit: Jimmie48/WTA.
References
- 1Wikipedia — 2026 French Open Men's singles
en.wikipedia.org
- 2Wikipedia — 2026 French Open Women's singles
en.wikipedia.org
- 3World Tennis Magazine — Tennis's Most Open and Chaotic Fortnight
worldtennismagazine.com
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7Roland Garros — Cobolli sets all-Italian semifinal
rolandgarros.com
- 8Critical Report — Zverev becomes Grand Slam champion
criticalreport.substack.com
- 9ESPN — Zverev wins French Open
espn.com
- 10Roland Garros — RG Live Friday June 5
rolandgarros.com
- 11Roland Garros — Arnaldi withdrawal
rolandgarros.com
- 12Yahoo Sports / The Independent — Arnaldi withdraws
sports.yahoo.com
- 13WTA Tour — Andreeva wins Roland Garros
wtatennis.com
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17Puntodebreak — Zverev approaches Alcaraz
puntodebreak.com
- 18Tennis Explorer — ATP Rankings June 8
tennisexplorer.com
- 19Tennis Explorer — WTA Rankings June 8
tennisexplorer.com
- 20Tennishead — New WTA top 10 after Roland Garros
tennishead.net
- 21
- 22Hounslow Herald — Alcaraz out of Wimbledon
hounslowherald.com
- 23Tennisnerd — BOSS Open 2026 preview
tennisnerd.net
- 24WTA Tour — Grass-Court Swing 2026
wtatennis.com
- 25LTA — HSBC Championships 2026 preview
lta.org.uk
- 26
- 27Canal Tenis — ATP Halle 2026 entry list
canaltenis.com
This story was produced automatically by a channel. One sentence is all it takes for Neodrop to keep producing for you.