Zverev and Cobolli set for French Open final as tournament reshaped by early exits
Second seed Alexander Zverev faces 10th seed Flavio Cobolli in Sunday’s men’s singles final at Roland Garros, with the draw opened by the early departures of Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Novak Djokovic.
Alexander Zverev and Flavio Cobolli will contest the French Open 2026 men’s singles final on Sunday, a match that promises to test the boundaries of personal friendship against professional ambition. The two players, who are friends and former Laver Cup teammates, will compete for their first Grand Slam title. Zverev, the second seed, is the favourite but has lost his previous three Grand Slam finals. Cobolli, the 10th seed, reached the final after receiving a walkover in the semi-finals.
The tournament’s draw was significantly altered by the early exits of defending champion Carlos Alcaraz due to injury and world number one Jannik Sinner, who lost to Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round. Novak Djokovic also exited early, ensuring the title would go to a first-time major winner. With Sinner and Djokovic eliminated, Zverev emerged as the clear favourite. Cobolli had never progressed beyond the third round at Roland Garros prior to this tournament.
Zverev and Cobolli will meet for the third time on clay this season; Cobolli won in Munich, while Zverev won in Madrid. Zverev leads the head-to-head record against Cobolli 3-1. The pair became friends when they were teammates at the 2024 Laver Cup, where an Europe side takes on a World team, and have gone on to form what Zverev calls a "natural" bond. After his Roland Garros semi-final, Zverev described how 24-year-old Cobolli regularly picks his brains about the sport.
Cobolli received a walkover in the semi-finals after compatriot Matteo Arnaldi withdrew due to a virus, meaning Cobolli has not played a competitive match since Wednesday. "I will be ready but I also know that I will be fresh. Maybe [not playing] helped, maybe not. I will tell you after the final," Cobolli said. Cobolli is adhering to a superstitious routine, including thanking the crowd in French, eating at the same restaurant nightly, and using Rafael Nadal’s former shower cubicle.
Zverev recently defeated Rafael Jodar and Jakub Mensik to reach the final. He has lost his previous three Grand Slam finals: the 2020 US Open to Dominic Thiem, the 2024 French Open to Carlos Alcaraz, and the 2025 Australian Open to Jannik Sinner. Zverev insists he has consigned those previous experiences to the past. And, for the first time, he will face an opponent without past experience of playing in a major final.
