Milan, June 7 (LaPresse) – “Congratulations to Flavio, your first Grand Slam final. You had two incredible weeks; not many players reach a final like this, and from the bottom of my heart I hope that one day you will be able to lift this trophy. I always enjoy speaking with you and your team, I’m sure you will make it one day.” These were the words of Alexander Zverev during the trophy ceremony after winning the Roland Garros final against Italy’s Flavio Cobolli. “Many thanks to Amélie Mauresmo, this is an incredible tournament and what you have done in the last two years is outstanding. Congratulations. A big thank you also to the crowd; this court is special to me for many reasons. I had the best and the worst moment of my life here, with two fractures and several torn ligaments four years ago, and a final lost two years ago. Now there is a happy ending, but I wouldn’t have won this tournament without you,” he added, referring to his 2022 semi-final retirement against Rafael Nadal and his 2024 final loss to Carlos Alcaraz. “Finally, thanks to my team, the longest-standing in the world. I can’t get rid of my father, who has been there for 29 years. My brother is there too, and my trainer who has been with me since 2014. We’ve lost many times, but in the end we are Grand Slam champions, and that’s what matters,” Zverev concluded.