Alexander Zverev is back in a Grand Slam final after beating Jakub Mensik in the Roland-Garros semifinals on Friday afternoon, keeping alive a run that now gives him a place in his fourth major final. The German closed out the match at Court Philippe-Chatrier after Mensik, the 20-year-old first-time major semifinalist, briefly threatened to turn the semifinal into another surprise.
The result settled one half of the men’s final in front of 15,000 fans, many of whom were fully invested in the swings of momentum. Zverev’s early lead gave him the control he wanted, but the crowd also found its own rhythm, with a “Vamos Rafa!” chant echoing from the rafters at 3-3 in the opening set and “Jakub! Jakub!” ringing out behind Mensik’s coaching box as the teenager tried to settle in.
Mensik gave the match a pulse in the third set after falling two sets behind, and for a while it looked like the youngest finalist Paris has produced in 20 years might be within reach. He had already spent much of the tournament playing beyond his experience, winning multiple five-setters in the same Grand Slam for the first time in his career, and he carried that resilience into the comeback that briefly made this semifinal feel unsettled.
But the opening was brief. Zverev took an early break in the fourth set and did not let the match slip back into doubt, holding on to complete the win. Mensik’s burst suggested one more upset might be coming, yet he was spent by the end, and Zverev found the steadier finish when it mattered most.
That is what made Friday matter beyond the score line. Roland-Garros 2026 has already been shaped by chaos and surprise, and Zverev was the only top-10 player and former Grand Slam finalist left in the men’s draw. His victory restored a familiar name to the last round, while Mensik’s run ended one match short of a breakthrough that would have rewritten the Paris record books.
What comes next is the final, and it carries a different weight for Zverev now that the spot is secured. He has reached another major championship match, but the last step remains the hardest one, and Paris will now wait to see whether this return ends with the title that has so far eluded him.
