Flavio Cobolli Discusses Relationship With Alexander Zverev Ahead of Roland Garros Final

Flavio Cobolli didn’t reach for the word ‘rival’ when he was asked about his relationship with Alexander Zverev ahead of their French Open final on Sunday (June 7). The Italian star admitted that the World No.1 is among the few top players in the circuit with whom he has built an excellent relationship off the court.

However, that relationship will have to be set aside in the Roland Garros final, as both players will be seeking to win the championship. Cobolli, who is the underdog, is in his maiden Grand Slam final and earned a walkover in the semi-finals after his fellow compatriot Matteo Arnaldi withdrew from their clash due to illness.

The 24-year-old’s best run in a major tournament before the Roland Garros was reaching the quarter-finals of the Wimbledon Championship last year. At this year’s French Open, he beat that record after claiming a stunning victory against Felix Auger-Aliassime in four sets in the last eight at the Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Meanwhile, Zverev has been the overwhelming favorite to win the title since Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner’s early exits. The No.2 seed has dropped just two sets at the event but has not really been tested. He holds a 3-1 lead over Cobolli in their head-to-head record ahead of the final and won their meeting at Roland Garros in 2025.

Nonetheless, Cobolli’s lone victory over Zverev came at the Munich Open in April, which is their latest meeting on tour. He defeated the World No.3 6-3, 6-3 to reach the final and eventually finish as runner-up. Speaking to the media, Cobolli admitted he discusses personal serious matters with Zverev, and he’s a student of the German star on tour:

We have a very good relationship. He is the person I talk to most among the top players, apart from Jannik and Carlos. I can speak frankly with him, and he helps me a lot in times when he feels he needs it too. We discuss serious matters, but not just serious things. We have a good relationship with his team. Today, for example, my brother gave me Kane’s shirt as a gift. But that doesn’t change the fact that we are rivals, and nobody should change that.

Zverev reached his fourth Grand Slam final by defeating Czech star Jakub Mensik 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, shortly before Cobolli advanced after Arnaldi’s withdrawal due to a viral illness. The German star now needs one win to rewrite his story of near misses in Grand Slam tournaments. This is his first Slam final since the Australian Open in 2025.

Alexander Zverev believes that Flavio Cobolli having more rest would not be a factor in the French Open final

Flavio Cobolli, not playing on Friday (June 5) due to Matteo Arnaldi’s withdrawal, means that he will have more than two days’ rest entering the Roland Garros final. The Italian star spent over two hours on the court against Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarter-finals and has fully recovered from that grueling battle on clay.

Cobolli’s opponent, Alexander Zverev, won his semi-final match on the same Friday against Jakub Mensik. That means, Cobolli will be at a better physical level than Zverev heading into Sunday’s (June 7) showdown at the Court Philippe-Chatrier. However, Zverev believes that would not make a big difference in the French Open final:

I feel fine. I didn’t have brutally long matches. I feel like I could play again now. I think it’s not the way that you want a semi-final of a Grand Slam to happen, but I also saw Matteo in the locker room, and he looked awful. I understand it. There’s nothing much he can do. Things like that happen. We’re all human. We don’t wish for them to happen, but they do. I don’t think it’s going to be a big difference on Sunday.

Zverev’s Grand Slam final losses have come against players with better records against him. He lost to Jannik Sinner at the 2025 Australian Open, then to Carlos Alcaraz at Roland Garros in 2024, and to Dominic Thiem at the 2020 US Open in New York. This will be the first time he will face a player outside the Top 10 in a major tournament final.

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