India, June 9 -- A fter three heartbreaking defeats in Grand Slam finals, Germany's Alexander Zverev finally broke through on Sunday, defeating Italy's Flavio Cobolli to win his maiden major title at the French Open. The victory ended years of near misses for the 29-year-old, whose previous final appearances at the 2020 US Open, 2024 French Open and 2025 Australian Open had all ended in disappointment. The Tokyo Olympics gold medallist admitted the triumph has lifted a mental burden. "Maybe my mind will just be a little bit calmer when I play a final next time. Even if I lose it, I will still be a Grand Slam champion," Zverev said, adding that the victory had given him the "freedom" to believe he could do it again. Zverev's journey has also been shaped by his battle with Type 1 diabetes, a condition he revealed publicly in 2022 after years of keeping it private. The same year, he launched the Alexander Zverev Foundation to support children living with the condition. The German has previously spoken about being discouraged from pursuing professional tennis because of his diagnosis. Witnessing the historic victory was a star-studded crowd that included actors Brad Pitt and his girlfriend Ines de Ramon, Emily in Paris star Lily Collins, musician Pharrell Williams and newly crowned women's champion Mirra Andreeva, among others. HTC...