Tennis player Zverev advances to his initial French Open championship match.
Alexander Zverev snags a spot in the French Open finals, impressing the crowd with his strong gameplay. He battles against Casper Ruud in the semifinals and manages to triumph after losing the first set. Now, he'll face off against Carlos Alcaraz in the final, with both players eager to snag their first Grand Slam title.
Zverev is just one step away from fulfilling his dream – he's made it to the French Open final for the first time, and he'll be fighting for his first-ever Grand Slam win on Sunday (3 pm/Eurosport). The tennis Olympic champion sought revenge against Casper Ruud in the semifinal, who'd defeated him in last year's semi-finals, and he did so with a remarkable display of power.
Zverev is the second German since Michael Stich in '96 to make it to the final at the French Open. Stich had only reached the US Open final in 2020, but his run ended in a heartbreaking 5-set loss to Dominic Thiem. Ruud, however, didn't quite make it to the final, missing out for the third time in a row—this time because of an upset from Novak Djokovic's withdrawal.
This journey to the French Open finals was filled with obstacles for Zverev. He'd suffered a recent injury scare, but the issue was resolved out of court before the match – freeing his mind to focus on clinching a spot in the finals. On the Court Philippe Chatrier, Zverev initially wrestled against Ruud, a clay court specialist. Ruud managed to break Germany's number one and clinched the first set in 35 minutes.
But Zverev stepped up his game, serving with more power and playing with greater focus. He capitalized on Ruud's fatigue and lack of counter-moves, breaking him multiple times to reach the finals. Ruud even attempted a lengthy bathroom break in a desperate attempt to regroup, but it wasn't enough to score a spot in the finals. Zverev sealed the deal with 2 hours and 35 minutes of hard-fought play and a triumphant celebration for his final entry.
