Years of pent-up emotions came flooding out of Alexander Zverev when he finally won the French Open

PARIS (AP) — It all came rushing back to Alexander Zverev when he was lying on his back on the French Open's center court, his hands covering his face, and sobbing on Sunday as he realized that he had — finally — become a Grand Slam champion.

It was the same court where he twisted his right ankle and crumpled to the ground, wailing in agony before being pushed off on a wheelchair during a semifinal match against Rafael Nadal in 2022.

The same court where he wasted a lead of two sets to one against Carlos Alcaraz in the 2024 championship match.

“All the emotions came out, because this court is very, very special to me. It’s special in a very positive way, but also special on the negative way, because I had some of the toughest moments of my life here," Zverev said.

"I was laying on this court with an injury that I didn’t know if I would ever come back from. I lost a Grand Slam final here, so all of those memories for me, they’re not wiped out. They're still with me, but this one will beat all of them.”

After so many missed opportunities, Zverev is no longer one of the best players never to win a major title.

In his fourth major final, Zverev beat Flavio Cobolli 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-1 for the French Open title.

It was a unique opportunity for Zverev without Jannik Sinner or Alcaraz across the net and the third-ranked German took full advantage on the red clay of Roland Garros.

When Cobolli missed an overhead on the second championship point after more than four hours of the five-set encounter, Zverev joined an elite group of players that captured their first major in their fourth final: Eight-time major champion Andre Agassi, 2001 Wimbledon winner Goran Ivanisevic and 2020 U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem.

Then when Zverev finally got his hands on the Coupe des Mousquetaires trophy, he turned it upside down, held it between his legs and then hoisted it above his head with both arms as he let out a loud roar.

“This trophy for me is very important because if I would have lost this one, this self-belief would have gone down a lot,” Zverev said. “But now that I’ve won it, I feel like I can do it again.”

Zverev had been an overwhelming favorite for the title ever since the top-ranked Sinner struggled in the first week’s heat wave and wasted a two set and 5-1 lead against Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round. A day later, 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic was also eliminated.

Alcaraz, the two-time reigning champion, withdrew before the tournament with an injured right wrist.

Zverev also lost a lead of two sets to none in the 2020 U.S. Open final to Thiem and was beaten in straight sets by Sinner in the 2025 Australian Open final.

It was the 25th title of Zverev’s career.

The 14th-ranked Cobolli had never been past a Grand Slam quarterfinal until this week. He was attempting to become the first Italian man to raise the singles trophy at Roland Garros since Adriano Panatta 50 years ago.

Cobolli comes from the same tennis club in Rome as Panatta did and Panatta was asked by tournament organizers to present the trophy to celebrate the anniversary of his 1976 triumph.

The honors, however, went to Zverev.

Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva won the women’s singles trophy on Saturday.

The match was played in perfect conditions and Zverev’s game was almost flawless at the start as Cobolli appeared nervous.

A group of women in the stands held up letters to form Zverev’s nickname: “Sascha.”

Cobolli likes to stand way over near the corner of the court and hit big kick serves out wide into the ad court. Zverev knew what was coming and returned one such kick serve early in the first set with a backhand that he wrapped around the outside of the net post. Cobolli ended up winning the point, but it was a message from Zverev that he knew how to handle his opponent’s tactics.

The next time Zverev hit a wrap-around-the-net-post return, Cobolli couldn’t handle it and Zverev won the point.

Cobolli’s supporters in his box were all dressed in blue, the color of Italy’s national teams, and as Cobolli worked his way back into the match, there were chants of “Ole, Ole, Ole; Flavio, Flavio.”

Both players were treated by a trainer as the match wore on and Cobolli appeared to run out of energy in the fifth.

“He deserved it more than me at the end of the match,” Cobolli said, adding that he was slowed by cramps.

Zverev said his cramps "were more mental.

“I actually think that the cramp helped me in a way, that I let go, I kind of hit my shots a bit more and just let go,” he added.

Moments after Zverev’s previous Grand Slam final in Australia in 2025, a person in the stadium yelled out the names of two of his ex-girlfriends who accused him of physical abuse.

One case was resolved following an agreement between German prosecutors, lawyers for Zverev and his former partner. The ATP Tour investigated another case and concluded there was insufficient evidence.

AP Sports Writers Samuel Petrequin and Jerome Pugmire contributed to this report.

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Alexander Zverev of Germany celebrates after winning the men's final match against Flavio Cobolli of Italy at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Alexander Zverev of Germany lifts the trophy after winning the men's final match against Flavio Cobolli of Italy at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Germany's Alexander Zverev reacts after winning the final tennis match against Italy's Flavio Cobolli at the French Open in Paris, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Emma Da Silva)

Alexander Zverev of Germany reacts after winning the men's final match against Flavio Cobolli of Italy at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Alexander Zverev of Germany lifts the trophy after winning the men's final match against Flavio Cobolli of Italy at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Second placed Flavio Cobolli of Italy, left, greets winner Alexander Zverev of Germany after their men's final match at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Alexander Zverev of Germany hugs the trophy after winning the men's final match against Flavio Cobolli of Italy at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Alexander Zverev of Germany celebrates after winning the men's final match against Flavio Cobolli of Italy at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Alexander Zverev of Germany celebrates after winning the men's final match against Flavio Cobolli of Italy at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Alexander Zverev of Germany reacts after winning the men's final match against Flavio Cobolli of Italy at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

Fans of Alexander Zverev of Germany support him before the men's final match against Flavio Cobolli of Italy at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

Alexander Zverev of Germany returns to Flavio Cobolli of Italy during their men's final match at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Italy's Flavio Cobolli reacts during the final tennis match against Germany's Alexander Zverev at the French Open in Paris, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Emma Da Silva)

Germany's Alexander Zverev returns during the final tennis match against Italy's Flavio Cobolli at the French Open in Paris, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Alexander Zverev of Germany reacts as he plays against Flavio Cobolli of Italy during their men's final match at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Italy's Flavio Cobolli returns to Zachary Svajda of the United States during the fourth-round tennis match at the French Open in Paris, Monday, June 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Italy's Flavio Cobolli reacts after winning the quarterfinal tennis match against Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime at the French Open in Paris, Wednesday, June 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

Germany's Alexander Zverev serves to Czech Republic's Jakub Mensik during the semifinal tennis match at the French Open in Paris, Friday, June 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Germany's Alexander Zverev returns to Czech Republic's Jakub Mensik during the semifinal tennis match at the French Open in Paris, Friday, June 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

Thousands of visitors were told to evacuate a remote Minnesota wilderness area accessible only by boat as wildfires send dangerously heavy smoke over the U.S. Midwest and Northeast this week.

More than 100 wildfires are burning in Canada, where a train crew in northern Ontario filmed themselves surrounded by flames before being safely evacuated. Winds are carrying the smoke southeast.

Warnings about unhealthy air conditions Wednesday extended from Minnesota through Toronto and into New York. Unusually hot summer temperatures were expected, too.

The best advice is to stay indoors to avoid both the smoke and the extreme heat, said Tyler Hasenstein, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Chanhassen, Minnesota.

“Those two things coinciding with each other is not good from a health perspective,” he said.

In far northeastern Minnesota, rangers were trying to warn people that the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness was closed Tuesday because about 17 fires caused by lightning more than a week ago were spreading through the vast wilderness accessible primarily by canoe.

Rangers estimated anywhere from 6,000 to 10,000 people were inside the 1.1-million-acre (445,000-hectare) wilderness, which is almost the size of Delaware, Superior National Forest spokesperson Joy VanDrie said.

“It’s an arduous job,” VanDrie said of rangers and campers having to canoe for hours or even carry their boats over land to evacuate.

No injuries or deaths have been reported. Rangers were going through every lake and waterway and officials estimated they had about 90% of the people out Wednesday.

Campers rescued this week said skies quickly darkened from smoke and they could feel the heat as they paddled or were taken by boat to safety.

Jan Bailey was camping with her husband, daughter, son-in-law, two grandchildren and three dogs when they noticed wispy smoke on the horizon. Two hours later, they could see a raging firestorm. A paddleboarder with a satellite phone fled to their campsite and they called forestry rangers who sent a boat to rescue them and others.

“We had fire on both sides of us at that time,” Bailey told Minnesota Public Radio. “So we’re just weaving between the lakes. It’s a little smoky. Campsites are going up."

Even authorities in Canada pitched in. They rescued two groups of youth campers Wednesday who had crossed the border. One group was stuck on an isolated sandbar, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said.

VanDrie didn’t know when the area might reopen. Minnesota officials said some fires in the Boundary Waters will be allowed to burn indefinitely but will be monitored to ensure they don’t threaten people or property.

Dan Westervelt, associate professor at Columbia University’s Climate School, said severe drought conditions combined with heat in Canada and the U.S. have created “a perfect storm for really dry conditions to provide a lot of fuel for these wildfires to burn.” Research shows warming temperatures from burning coal, oil and gas are making fires more frequent and intense.

High levels of fine particulate matter in the air from wildfire smoke may be unhealthy for sensitive groups, such as children and people with heart or lung conditions. The particulates can cause shortness of breath, coughing, dizziness or fatigue and aggravate heart and lung diseases and other chronic health issues.

Experts suggest wearing a N95 mask if you have to be outside and keeping your indoor air cleaner by closing windows and running an air purifier or air conditioner.

It's been a particularly busy and deadly fire season in the U.S. About four dozen large fires are currently burning across 15 states, from Minnesota and North Carolina to Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Oregon and California, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

Prolonged drought and record low snowpack levels combined to make conditions ripe for rapid fire growth.

In Minnesota, officials warned large fires could burn for months. In Minneapolis, the high Wednesday was expected to be 96 degrees F (36 C) and temperatures above 90 F (32 C) were expected the rest of the week.

“It could well be we’re having significant fires throughout the summer until we have snow. Snow would be a good thing,” said Patty Thielen, director of the state Department of Natural Resources.

The smoke was so thick that the sky turned orange like Mars in northern Minnesota, said Matt Taraldsen, supervisory meteorologist with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

Part of the danger of the heat and smoke there is that only about half the buildings have air conditioning, Taraldsen said. Residents usually would open windows to keep cool “but when there’s dense smoke, you can’t do that,” he said.

Taraldsen's mother said she woke up in her Duluth, Minnesota, home Wednesday morning and everything smelled like a campfire. When she opened her door, her eyes watered and she had to use her inhaler to ease her asthma.

Typically, Theresa Taraldsen said, she can see the St. Louis River from her yard but it was all a white wall of smoke Wednesday.

“You literally couldn’t see nothing,” she said.

Officials in Michigan and Wisconsin warned residents about air quality issues that could last for days. People in New York reported smelling smoke Wednesday afternoon and the problems extended even to Maine, where residents were reporting a yellowish and brownish color in the sky.

The most intense smoke could spread as far south as Washington, D.C., by midday Thursday.

Associated Press writers Susan Montoya Bryan and Jeffrey Collins contributed to this report.

The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment.

Julian McTaggart is playfully pushed into the West River as smoke from Canadian wildfires creates an orange haze over the area on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, in Brattleboro, Vt. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP)

A cyclist passes the Minneapolis skyline along St. Anthony Parkway as smoke from wildfires in Canada and Northern Minnesota sets in, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

A plumes of smoke from the Camp Fire hang in the air over Moose Lake as multiple wildfires burn in Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Anthony Souffle/Minnesota Star Tribune via AP)

Willy Vosburgh, owner of Vosburgh's Custom Cabin Rentals on Moose Lake, uses a tow boat to evacuate canoeists from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness after multiple wildfires burning there prompted its closure and evacuation Tuesday, July 14, 2026 in Ely, Minn. (Anthony Souffle/Minnesota Star Tribune via AP)

A person in a face mask boards a streetcar in Toronto as wildfire smoke fills the city, on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (Laura Proctor/The Canadian Press via AP)

Firefighters watch as a helicopter drops water on the Summit Fire in Llano, CA. Friday, July 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

A cyclist passes the Minneapolis skyline along St. Anthony Parkway as smoke from wildfires in Canada and Northern Minnesota sets in, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

The CN Tower is pictured in Toronto as wildfire smoke fills the city, on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (Laura Proctor/The Canadian Press via AP)

A law enforcement vehicle blocks off a road leading to the Fall Lake entry point, Tuesday, July 14, 2026, near Ely, Minn. (Anthony Soufflé/Minnesota Star Tribune via AP)

Signage near the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' office in Tower, Minn., notes extreme fire danger ,Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (Anthony Soufflé/Minnesota Star Tribune via AP)