Alexander Zverev is the overwhelming favourite to lift the Roland Garros title, but his work at the Grand Slam is not done yet.

Zverev defeated Jakub Mensik in four sets to confirm his place in the final and he will await the winner of the all-Italian clash between Matteo Arnaldi and Flavio Cobolli.

While Zverev will be the favourite to lift the trophy no matter which player reaches the final, the German must be aware that his recent record against Italians could be a huge worry for him.

Zverev’s last six defeats on the ATP Tour have all come against Italians, with three players from that nation picking up victories against him already in 2026.

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Jannik Sinner is, of course, the biggest culprit of the lot, having defeated Zverev at Indian Wells, the Miami Open, and the Monte Carlo Masters already this year.

However, his potential opponent, Cobolli, has also picked up a victory against Zverev on the European clay court swing. The Italian beat Zverev in Munich to knock the German out of the semi-finals in straight sets.

Zverev’s other defeat to an Italian came against Luciano Darderi in Rome, when he was bagelled in the deciding set in a bizarre capitulation.

While Zverev’s mental strength has been impressive at Roland Garros, the fact that he will definitely play an Italian in the final will be a worry for him.

Zverev has only lost nine times this season, so 66.6% of his defeats so far this year have come against an Italian player. That is not the statistic he will want to see ahead of his first Roland Garros final for two years.

Alexander Zverev’s last six defeats

• Luciano Darderi – 2026 Italian Open
• Jannik Sinner – 2026 Madrid Open
• Flavio Cobolli – 2026 Munich Open
• Jannik Sinner – 2026 Monte Carlo Masters
• Jannik Sinner – 2026 Miami Open
• Jannik Sinner – 2026 Indian Wells

His last came against Carlos Alcaraz in 2024, and it was a heartbreaking moment for the German star.

Zverev was two sets to one up against the Spaniard, but he was firmly beaten 6–1, 6–2 in the final two sets to lose the second Grand Slam final of his career.

The 2026 Roland Garros final will mark Zverev’s fourth Grand Slam final, but it is undoubtedly his best ever chance to lift the title.

His previous Grand Slam finals have come against Alcaraz, Sinner, and Dominic Thiem, who were all ranked highly at the time of the final.

Cobolli has just snuck inside the ATP Tour top 10 due to his performances at Roland Garros, while Arnaldi currently sits at World No. 34.