Alexander Zverev booked his place in the French Open showpiece after defeating Jakub Mensik in the semi-finals.
The second seed won 7-5 6-2 3-6 6-3 in just
under three hours at Roland-Garros, and will face either Flavio Cobolli or Matteo Arnaldi in Sunday's final as he chases a maiden grand slam title.
There was little to separate the pair in the first set, which seemed to be heading for a tie-break after Zverev saved three break points in the eighth game, but the German broke ahead at 6-5 before clinching the lead.
The second proved to be far more straightforward for Zverev, who converted two of a possible three break points as Mensik struggled to cope with his counterpart's power.
Twenty-year-old Mensik needed a medical timeout in the third, and it seemed to do the trick for the youngster as he broke Zverev's serve in the sixth game to pull a set back and threaten a comeback.
However, Zverev was back to his best in the fourth, racing into a 3-0 lead before clinching victory with his first match point.
2020 - The first at Roland Garros since Rafael Nadal (2010), Alexander Zverev is the first player to reach a Grand Slam final without facing an ATP top 20 opponent en route since.Alexander Zverev (US Open 2020). Survivalist.#RolandGarros | @rolandgarros @atptour pic.twitter.com/SFZ29lGJ8K
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) June 5, 2026
Zverev capitalises on others' misfortunes
Zverev has claimed a 44th men's singles match win at Roland-Garros, equalling David Ferrer (44) for the most of any player in the Open Era not to have won the event, though that could end this Sunday.
With no Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz or Novak Djokovic waiting in the final, but rather one of two players who also are yet to win a major, the second seed is unlikely to have a better opportunity than this to win his first grand slam.
The first at Roland-Garros since Rafael Nadal (2010), Zverev is the first player to reach a grand slam final without facing an ATP top 20 opponent en route to the showpiece since he did so himself in the US Open in 2020.
And Mensik, who played two five-setters earlier in the tournament, was clearly feeling the effects during this semi-final, with Zverev's fitness far superior in the latter stages of the fourth set.
But beggars cannot be choosers, and Zverev will not care how he gets over the line if it means winning his maiden major title.
