Alexander Zverev has knocked on the Grand Slam door three times: the 2020 US Open, 2024 French Open, and 2025 Australian Open. But he has yet to break through. He let the 2020 US Open slip away in five sets after winning the first two, fell in another five-set battle at the 2024 French Open against Carlos Alcaraz, and made the final again at the 2025 Australian Open. Now, he returns to Roland Garros for another shot, facing Flavio Cobolli in the final with a 3-1 head-to-head advantage. Many see it as a straightforward win, but former ATP pro Andy Roddick sees it differently.

“He’s had an amazing tournament. Zverev has handled it like an adult since he became the favorite,” Roddick said on the latest episode of the Served Podcast. “Can’t wait to watch it. I think Sascha will win and I think he deserves it. He has earned this over time. 550 some match wins, 2 world tour finals, a bunch of Grand Slam finals. He’s a worthy champion of a Grand Slam.”

“Didn’t have to go through Sinner and Alcaraz. This is a real opportunity. This one will stick with him if he doesn’t win. I expect him to deliver but there’s a lot of pressure on him.”

Having previously lost three major finals, he is now set to make his second appearance in the Roland Garros final. Although it won’t be wrong to say that Zverev has been quite fortunate with the draw at the 2026 French Open. He didn’t have to face any top 15 opponent on his way to the final. The first time that the 29-year-old came up against a seeded opponent was in the quarterfinals when he took on Rafael Jodar.

A big reason behind this is that several top players suffered upsets and got eliminated in the opening few rounds. For context, six out of the top 10 players got knocked out within the first three rounds. This includes the likes of Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Ben Shelton, and more. Carlos Alcaraz’s not participating in the Grand Slam due to a wrist injury only made the draw easier for Zverev.

But the German has to be credited for his consistency in the tournament, as unlike the other top 10 players, he didn’t falter in the first few rounds. Zverev has also been among the most consistent players in the tournament, dropping just two sets in the six matches that he has played so far.

Despite a relatively easy run to the final, Zverev is still likely to be under a lot of pressure as he heads into the final against Cobolli. This is largely due to his dismal record in Grand Slam finals. His first-ever final appearance at a major came back at the 2020 US Open, where he was defeated by Dominic Thiem in a marathon five-set battle.

Zverev had then made it to the final of the 2024 French Open but had come out on the losing side in a dramatic five-set clash against Alcaraz. The German also reached last year’s Australian Open final, where Sinner had crushed his bid for a first-ever major with a straight-set victory.

Though the momentum appears to be with Zverev ahead of the French Open final, Cobolli is likely to provide him with the toughest challenge of the Grand Slam. The Italian will be the first top-10 opponent that the World No. 3 will face in the tournament. Cobolli will also be in great shape as he didn’t have to compete in the semifinals due to Matteo Arnaldi’s last-minute withdrawal.

Cobolli is also the only player who can challenge Zverev’s consistency at the Roland Garros, as he too has lost just two sets so far. While the H2H record may favor the German, he suffered a comprehensive 6-3, 6-3 defeat to Cobolli at the Munich Open in April. Having proven that he is capable of defeating Zverev on clay, the World No. 10 will be optimistic about his chances in the final.

Aiming for his first Grand Slam triumph, Zverev will undoubtedly be under pressure coming into the French Open final. The World No. 3 also resorted to extreme measures to cope with the situation.

Alexander Zverev has completely avoided social media at the French Open

With him constantly being labelled as the favorite to win the French Open title since the early rounds, Zverev has tried his best to avoid the outside noise. He is known to distance himself from distractions during Grand Slams, and this is exactly what he has done this time around as well.

The 29-year-old had confirmed that he hasn’t been using social media these days following his fourth-round victory over Jesper De Jong.

“I’m not hearing,” he had said during his post-match press conference on May 31. “My phone is off, but it’s been off for, like, seven years during Grand Slams. I don’t have social media.”

Will Zverev be able to finally become a Grand Slam champion, or will Cobolli go on to spoil his plans and hand him a fourth consecutive defeat in major finals? We will have to wait and see.