Alexander Zverev’s longest and toughest pursuit finally reached its destination the Roland Garros, years after the German prodigy first emerged as a teenage sensation and won a Masters title at just 20. 3 Grand Slam final defeats left the sport’s biggest prize painfully out of reach, but Sascha never stopped climbing that desired ladder. Now, with the French Open glory finally in his hands, Zverev can play with a lighter heart, and perhaps, celebrate the moment with a well-earned drink.

During yesterday’s the post-match press conference, renowned Italian journalist Ubaldo Scanagatta posed an interesting question. The Italian journalist asked Zverev what he thought about a popular tennis debate Zverev once said. Would he rather be remembered as the worst player to win a Grand Slam or the best player never to win one? The 29-year-old handled the question with humor.  However, later, while discussing German Roland Garros champions and reflecting on past achievements, Zverev made a candid admission that quickly drew laughter from the room.

“To be honest, I’m a little bit drunk already, so I’m repeating myself more than usual – but I’m just going to keep sitting next to this trophy.”

The light-hearted comment reflected just how much the title meant to the German. The celebration came after one of the longest and most demanding journeys among modern tennis stars.

A two-time ATP Finals champion, a seven-time ATP Masters winner and Tokyo Olympic gold medallist, Zverev had already built an outstanding career. Yet that Grand Salm trophy had always remained missing from his collection.

His closest call came at the US Open back in 2020, where he stood on the brink of Grand Slam glory. Zverev led Dominic Thiem by 2 sets and a break before eventually falling in 5 heartbreaking sets.

More disappointment followed at the French Open itself in 2024. Against the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, the German led by two sets to one before Carlitos produced a stunning comeback and won in five sets.

The AO final brought another painful chapter in 2025. Going into the match, Zverev sounded confident about his chances against Italian top seed Jannik Sinner, but Sinner proved too strong and secured a 6-3 7-6 (4) 6-3 victory. After that defeat, Zverev openly admitted what had been weighing on his mind for years. 

“I don’t want to end my career as the best player of all time to never win a Grand Slam, that’s for sure.”

That burden of not winning any Slam finally disappeared yesterday in Parisian clay. When the final overhead from Flavio Cobolli sailed long, Sascha collapsed onto the clay before looking toward his players’ box and seeing everyone celebrating. 

The dream was finally real.

For the German ace, the victory was about far more than a trophy. It ended years of questions, almost erased old disappointments and confirmed that persistence eventually pays off. 

As he later explained, the title also carried extra meaning because of the physical challenges he had battled throughout his journey to becoming a Grand Slam champion.

Alexander Zverev reflects on becoming first diabetic Grand Slam champion

Back at the AO earlier this year, Alexander Zverev spoke openly about a dream that went far beyond tennis trophies. During an interview on court with Christopher Eubanks after his match against Learner Tien, the German discussed the work of his “Alexander Zverev Foundation”.

The world No. 3 then shared a vision he hoped would one day become reality. “And if ever there will be a diabetic grand slam champion, even if it’s not me, I’ll be the happiest person in the world, and if you know I made a difference for a parent or a kid, I’m the happiest person in the world. So that’s the reason why I started it,” Zverev said at that time.

Only 5 months later on a Paris evening, that dream became reality. Zverev himself became the champion he had spoken about.

By lifting the French Open trophy, the German became the first man with Type 1 diabetes to win a Grand Slam singles title. His achievement quickly drew praise from across the sporting world.

Among those celebrating the moment was the founder of WTA, Billie Jean King. “Congratulations to @AlexZverev on his very first Grand Slam Singles title!” King posted on her social media. “He is also the first man with Type 1 Diabetes to win a major. What a victory for everyone living with this disease.”

Later, during his post-match press conference in Paris, Sascha was asked what message he hoped people would take from his success. “I try not to make too much of it, because I’ve always said I don’t want it to have an outsized impact. But I think it’s important, not for me, but for many children and many parents out there, to really see that you can achieve a lot, achieve everything, despite it. At least to say that openly.”

And truly in many ways, the journey had come full circle for Sascha. 

From leaving courts with tears, frustration and even barred on-court injections at the Roland Garros back in 2023, to standing in front of the Paris crowd with a Grand Slam trophy in his hands, Zverev finally lived the dream he had chased for years. 

And after allowing himself a small celebration and admitting he was a little drunk, tennis fans witnessed the complete story of a player who refused to stop believing.

After all, as the stands of Roland Garros says, “Victory Belongs to the Most Tenacious,” and Zverev lived that victory fully.