Zverev reaches Roland Garros final after defeating Mensik in straight sets

Alexander Zverev secured his place in the Roland Garros final on Friday, defeating Czech player Jakub Mensik 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in the men's semifinal on Court Philippe-Chatrier. The match lasted three hours.

Zverev, ranked third in the world and seeded second at the tournament, will face Italian Flavio Cobolli in Sunday's final at 15:00 local time. Cobolli advanced to his first Grand Slam final without playing after his Italian compatriot Matteo Arnaldi withdrew due to a viral illness.

Arnaldi announced his withdrawal in a press conference at the tournament venue. "It wasn't what I wanted, but since yesterday evening I haven't been feeling well," Arnaldi said. "At dinner I started having stomach pain. I woke up at one o'clock and vomited. I tried to sleep but couldn't. At six in the morning I vomited again. I was unwell. We called the doctor to my room. It's difficult to accept but that's how it is."

The Italian player, ranked 104th, had advanced through the tournament having played nearly 20 hours of tennis, a record for the competition. Tournament organizers announced that spectators holding tickets for the semifinal between the two Italians would receive full refunds.

Zverev's victory over Mensik, who was seeded 26th, came as expected. The German controlled much of the opening set, particularly from the fourth game onward, using his powerful serve as a key weapon. Mensik mounted resistance and had two break points at 15-40 in the eighth game, but Zverev neutralized both opportunities and another break point to secure the set.

The second set saw Zverev extend his dominance, breaking Mensik's serve multiple times to take a commanding two-set lead. Mensik responded in the third set, winning 6-3 to stay competitive. Zverev closed out the match in the fourth set, 6-3.

After the match, Zverev commented on his opponent's recent form. "Mensik has played incredibly over the last two weeks. I knew it would be the toughest challenge, but I managed it, won it, and I'm happy," he said.

This is Zverev's fourth Grand Slam final. He previously reached the final of the US Open in 2020, losing to Dominic Thiem; the Roland Garros final in 2024, where he lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the fifth set; and the Australian Open in 2025, where he was defeated by Jannik Sinner. He has not won a Grand Slam title to date.

Zverev is an Olympic champion from Tokyo and has reached 42 finals on the ATP circuit, winning 24 titles. His most recent title came over a year ago in Munich. Earlier this season, he lost the Madrid final to Sinner.

Cobolli, ranked 14th in the world and seeded 10th at Roland Garros, will enter Sunday's final with additional rest after his semifinal opponent's withdrawal. This will be his first appearance in a Grand Slam final.