Flavio Cobolli Shows True Sportsmanship Despite French Open Final Defeat Against Alexander Zverev

The 2026 French Open came to an end after the grueling fortnight in Paris, and Alexander Zverev had the last laugh. He picked up the trophy after a battle that lasted over 4 hours against Flavio Cobolli. Cobolli, even though he lost, showed his class, as he did not let the bitterness of the loss cloud his judgment.

“It’s not easy for me to talk right now, but I wanna start with you, Alex. If someone asked me who deserved this title more, I would always say you,” said an emotional Cobolli during his speech. The Italian and the German are great friends off the court as well, which showed in the Italian’s emotions even after the loss. “It’s been an honor for our relationship to share the court with you today. I’m happy for you.”

The match was a battle of nerves for the Italian player, who had a slow start, losing the first set 1-6. However, the Italian player raised his level, fitting of a Grand Slam final, hitting winners and charging the crowd when required to turn the match into a slugfest, where the German player had to snatch it away from the Italian’s grasp.

Even though he played with his heart out, the intensity caught up to Cobolli, as he missed crucial shots in the fifth set, to give the advantage away.

Flavio Cobolli to Zverev after losing to him in Roland Garros final

“It’s not easy for me to talk right now but I wanna start with you Alex. If someone asked me who deserved more this title, I always said you.”

“It’s been an honor for our relationship to share the court with… pic.twitter.com/Uwn6ZHk3g9

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) June 7, 2026

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