Alexander Zverev is one match away from ending his long wait for a Grand Slam title after the German second seed defeated Czech teenager Jakub Mensik 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in the French Open semi-finals at Roland Garros in Paris on Friday. The 29-year-old will face Italy's Flavio Cobolli in Sunday's final — a match that is guaranteed to produce a first-time Grand Slam champion.

Zverev's experience proved decisive against 20-year-old Mensik, who was appearing in a Grand Slam semi-final for the first time. After a tightly contested opening set settled by a break in the 11th game, Zverev dominated the second, dropping just four points on serve. Mensik showed remarkable resilience mid-match, calling a medical timeout for a neck complaint before staging an unexpected fightback through sharp drop shot play to claim the third set — only the second Zverev had dropped in the entire tournament. The comeback was short-lived, however, as Zverev broke early in the fourth and closed out the match on his first match point. "This is a Grand Slam, it's best of five, things are going to happen. I managed it," Zverev said in his post-match interview, adding with characteristic humour: "Pure emptiness, there's absolutely nothing in my head."

Cobolli, the 10th seed and world number 14, reached his first Grand Slam final without stepping on court, after his compatriot Matteo Arnaldi — ranked 104th in the world — was forced to withdraw with a virus just over 20 minutes before their scheduled semi-final. Arnaldi, who had spent more time on court en route to the semi-finals than any other player in the draw, described a wretched night of vomiting and dizziness that left him unable to eat, drink or stand without feeling faint. "There was really no way that I will be able to play," he said. Cobolli, visibly emotional, sat alongside his close friend at a joint press conference, saying he felt "sad and happy at the same time."

The final carries significant weight for Zverev, who has lost three previous Grand Slam finals, including against Carlos Alcaraz at Roland Garros two years ago and after squandering a two-set lead against Dominic Thiem at the 2020 US Open. Having won Olympic gold in Tokyo in 2021 and accumulated 24 ATP titles, a Grand Slam remains the one major prize to elude him. He arrives in Sunday's final having dropped just two sets across six matches and will be a strong favourite against Cobolli, who by contrast will have had nearly four days of rest. "Maybe having almost four days off is a lot, so you lose the rhythm," Cobolli acknowledged. "I'll tell you after the final."