Alexander Zverev Breaks French Open Jinx, Reaches First Final At 4th Try

Alexander Zverev ferociously started the match, pulling up one breakpoint in the first game of the match. Casper Ruud managed to claw back to deuce before securing the game to lead the set.

Zverev mistimed a few groundstrokes, and double faults, and hit a few intended winners long to hand Casper Ruud the break of his serve to love. Ruud consolidated his serve and stepped up his game, playing a nearly flawless set of tennis. He went on to secure the double break in the eighth game to win the set 6-2.

Zverev Equalizes And Takes The Lead

After a 35-minute first-set masterclass from Casper Ruud, the second set started in polar opposite terms from the first. Alexander Zverev attacked Casper Ruud’s serve, eventually pulling up two break points. The Norwegian saved the first breakpoint, but the German forced a lob from Ruud that went long to seal the break at the second time of asking.

The second set was Zverev’s turn to play a near-flawless set. In the fourth game, he pulled up two breakpoints again, sealing the break at the second attempt. Alexander Zverev served out the set to equalize at a score of 2-6, 6-2.

Zverev begins the third set impressively, running through each service game to a 2-2 third-set score. Ruud had called for the trainer during the fourth game for a stomach ache, but that didn’t stop Zverev from barraging him into conceding a break in the fifth game. Zverev served out the set to lead 2-6, 6-2, 6-4.

Zverev Serves Out A Well-played Set 

Casper Ruud went for treatment between the third and fourth set and upon return, was a shadow of himself in the first game. Alexander Zverev easily picked him apart to secure a quick break of his serve in the first game of the set.

Casper Ruud found it difficult to serve out his games from there on out. Every point had to be short while Zverev attacked every serve ferociously. In the seventh game of the set, Ruud blows a 30-0 lead. Zverev quickly takes advantage with a backhand down the line to secure the double break and lead 5-2.

Alexander Zverev served out the set to make it to the final . It’s the second time he’s played in a Grand Slam final since 2020 when he lost to Dominic Thiem in the US Open final. He’s also the second German to reach the final of the French Open since Michael Stich did it in 1996.

Note:

Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner earlier in the day to reach his first French Open final. With Alexander Zverev also reaching the final, it is the first-ever French Open final for both finalists.