REUTERS, Paris

Alexander Zverev’s long pursuit of a maiden Grand Slam title has led him back to the threshold at a topsy-turvy French Open, where the German’s resolve will be tested by Italian dark horse Flavio Cobolli on Sunday.

Long blocked by the golden generation of Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic, and more recently by young guns Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, the 29-year-old will hope his fourth trip to a major final turns into an overdue breakthrough.

After holder Alcaraz’s withdrawal and the early departures of Sinner and Djokovic reshaped the Roland Garros draw, second seed Zverev has capitalised with a calm surge through the field to earn his second Paris final appearance in three years.

Roland Garros has long held promise for Zverev, but it is also where his hopes have frayed, from the brutal ankle injury that cut short his 2022 semifinal against Nadal to his defeat by Alcaraz in the 2024 final.

Zverev carries another near-miss into the French Open final after his loss to Sinner in the 2025 Australian Open final, but he now has a golden chance to finally get over the line with a personal edge over his close friend Cobolli.

The 24-year-old Cobolli booked his place in the title clash after fellow Italian Matteo Arnaldi pulled out of their semifinal due to a viral illness, and the 10th seed will be the fresher player heading into Sunday’s clash.