To find the last German men’s champion at the French Open before Alexander Zverev, you have to travel back 89 years to Henner Henkel’s triumph in 1937, who defeated Bunny Austin to become the champion of the French Championships. By conquering Paris yesterday, Zverev also joined an exclusive club as only the third German ever to claim the title. Yet in a twist few expected, the history-making champion now finds himself overlooked for a major French media honor.

A recent post from Bastien Fachan sparked discussion across social media. He shared the latest front page of the French newspaper L’Équipe along with an interesting observation. “Zverev is the first Roland-Garros men’s champion not to get L’Équipe’s main title in the last 20 years,” he added while sharing the post. 

Despite the German winning his first Grand Slam title in Paris, he was not the main focus of the newspaper’s front page. That surprised many given the significance of his achievement.

His celebration image still appeared on the right side of the cover image. One photo showed the German lying on the clay after his victory. Beside the image was the headline, “Zverev Enfin Majeur.” The phrase essentially means, “Zverev Finally Major” champion.

However, the largest image on the front page belonged to the Metz Handball team. The French handball club had just won its first Women’s Champions League title in Budapest yesterday.

The achievement was considered historic in French sport. At the end of the tournament, Sarah Bouktit was also named the MVP of the Final Four tournament. To support the journalist’s point, one X user shared an old L’Équipe front page from 2009. That edition came after Roger Federer finally won the Roland Garros.

On that cover, Federer occupied the main image and the headline simply read, “Le Maestro.” It was one of the most memorable front pages in recent tennis history.

Last year as well, following the epic Roland Garros final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, L’Équipe featured both players prominently on the cover. The headline read, “5H29 De Legende,” a reference to their remarkable 5-hour and 29-minute contest.

Even with the front-page debate, the history made by Sascha is impossible to ignore. His victory ended a streak of 9 consecutive Grand Slam titles won by the Sincaraz duo, stretching from the 2024 AO through the 2026 AO.

The 29-year-old also became only the 3rd German in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam singles title. He joined the company of Boris Becker and Michael Stich, who captured Wimbledon in 1991.

Alexander Zverev’s achievement carries even more weight statistically as well. He became the 4th player in the Open Era to win his first Grand Slam title in a 4th final, following Andre Agassi, Goran Ivanisevic and Dominic Thiem. At 29 years and one month old, he is also the fifth-oldest first-time Grand Slam champion of the Open Era. 

And now, with the pressure finally gone and a celebratory drink already enjoyed, Zverev may become an even more dangerous rival for both Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz in the battles still to come.

Alexander Zverev reflects on past heartbreaks at Court Philippe-Chatrier after winning the French Open

A major chapter in Alexander Zverev’s career unfolded on Court Philippe-Chatrier four years ago. During his French Open SF against the icon Rafael Nadal, the German suffered a devastating injury while chasing down a forehand.

The injury forced him to retire on the spot. He later underwent surgery after tearing several lateral ligaments in his right ankle.

At the time, it was one of the darkest moments of the German’s career. Many wondered how long it would take him to return to the highest level. Even two years later, he lost the final when Carlos Alcaraz broke his heart.

Yet, yesterday, the same court witnessed a very different scene. And during the trophy ceremony, the German reflected on his emotional connection with Court Philippe-Chatrier. The memories, both painful and joyful, came rushing back for him.

“This court is so special to me in so many ways,” Zverev said with the Coupe des Mousquetaires in his hand. “I have had the best moments of my life on this court and the worst moment of my life on these courts. I was playing in the corner four years ago over there 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 end.”

Despite his triumph in Paris, there has been no change at the very top of the current ATP rankings. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz continue to hold sizable advantages over the rest of the field.

Zverev did receive significant rankings boost from his title run. However, even after Alcaraz suffered the biggest possible points drop after his withdrawal, the Spaniard still remains 2,655 points ahead of the German in the standings.

And with the Grand Slam burden finally lifted from his shoulders, many will be watching closely to see whether the German can now transform his fortunes on grass as well in the coming days.