Four years ago, Alexander Zverev was taken off Court Phillippe-Chatrier in a wheelchair, another chance at Grand Slam glory gone.

The German had been a set up in the semi-final against the great Rafael Nadal in the 2022 French Open when he suffered a nasty fall that left him screaming in pain.

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Zverev tore ligaments in his right ankle in what was the worst injury of his career and missed several months of the season after undergoing surgery.

But 1,465 days later, he walked off the same court with his first – and long-awaited – Grand Slam trophy tucked under his arm after beating Italy’s Flavio Cobolli in a tense five-set final in Paris.

“This court is so special to me in so many ways,” Zverev, 29, said.

“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.

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“But now, finally, it is a happy ending.”

Zverev had long been dubbed the best player of his generation to have never won a Grand Slam after a string of near misses – including three defeats in major finals.

At the US Open in 2020, he lost the final despite being two sets up against Dominic Thiem and having served for the championship at 5-3 in the final set.

He led Carlos Alcaraz by two sets to one in the 2024 French Open final but it was the Spaniard who ended up lifting his first Coupe des Mousquetaires.

At the Australian Open in 2025, he was outclassed in a merciless performance by Jannik Sinner that left Zverev saying he felt mentally “empty” a few months later.

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“Last year was one of the most difficult moments in my tennis career,” Zverev said.

“This year is one of the happiest moments. It’s a very different feeling right now.”

It seemed like the pressure of a Grand Slam final might prove too much for a fourth time when 24-year-old Cobolli, who had twice fought back from a set down, forced a deciding fifth set.

But Zverev, who has struggled with his emotions on court in the past, held his nerve to end his major final curse.

After falling flat on his back in celebration, Zverev dedicated his victory to his team, which includes his father and brother.

“We have been through injury, heartbreaks, losses. We have been losers at times in the most important moments,” Zverev said.

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“At the end of the day, we are Grand Slam champions now and that is what counts.

“I was laying on this court with an injury that I didn’t know if I will ever come back from. All of those memories, they’re not wiped out,” he said.

“They’re still with me but this one will beat all of them.”

Zverev’s path to the trophy opened up when top seed Sinner, the heavy favourite, fell to a shock second-round defeat by Juan Manuel Cerundolo.

Two-time defending champion and world number two Alcaraz had withdrawn a month before the tournament with a wrist injury.

And 24-time major winner Novak Djokovic, who has won three titles in Paris, was removed from the conversation when he lost to Joao Fonseca in the third round.

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Cobolli was the first player that Zverev faced who resided in the world’s top 25.

This was simply Zverev’s best chance to win his first Grand Slam – and he cannot be faulted for grabbing it with both hands.

Nadal, who helped him off the court after his nasty ankle injury in 2022, was one of the first to congratulate Zverev.

“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,” Nadal wrote on social media.

Zverev is a polarising figure who has previously been involved in controversy.

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In October 2023, he was given a penalty order and fined 450,000 euros (£392,000) for bodily harm against his ex-partner, who he shares a child with.

Zverev denied the claims and lodged an objection against the order, which resulted in a public trial in May 2024. The trial was discontinued a week into the proceedings.

At the time, the court told BBC Sport: “The decision is not a verdict and it is not a decision about guilt or innocence.”

The court also told the BBC there was a separate settlement between Zverev and his ex-girlfriend.

Zverev was also accused in October 2020 of physical violence and controlling behaviour by another former girlfriend.

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He maintained his innocence from the start and always described the allegations as baseless. There were no legal proceedings.