By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
After a string of upsets, no 2 seed Alexander Zverev moved within one win of a long-awaited maiden Grand Slam title on Friday as he defeated Czech youngster Jakub Mensik to reach the French Open final for the second time in three years.
The second seed produced a composed display on Court Philippe-Chatrier, overcoming the 20-year-old Mensik 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 to book his place in Sunday’s championship match.
For Zverev, the return to the Roland Garros final carries special significance. In 2022, his dream run ended in heartbreak when he suffered a horrific ankle injury during a semi-final against the legendary Rafael Nadal, forcing him to retire from the match. In 2024, he came agonisingly close to the title before losing a five-set epic to Carlos Alcaraz.
Now, at 29, Zverev has another opportunity to end his Grand Slam drought. Sunday’s final will be his fourth major final and his second in Paris, but he is still chasing the first Grand Slam trophy of his career.
Standing in his way will be Italy’s Flavio Cobolli, who reached his maiden Grand Slam final after compatriot Matteo Arnaldi withdrew from their semi-final with illness. The breakthrough run has guaranteed Cobolli a place in the ATP top 10 for the first time.
While Cobolli arrived as the tournament’s surprise package, Zverev enters the final as the more experienced contender. Yet the German knows better than most that experience alone guarantees nothing on tennis’s biggest stage.
After years of near misses, injuries and painful defeats, Zverev now stands just one victory away from lifting the Coupe des Mousquetaires.