French Open: Zverev sweeps Jodar to enter Final Four

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Alexander Zverev moved closer to his French Open title quest after dominating Rafael Jodar in straight sets, 7-6, 6-1, 6-3, to claim a seat in the Grand Slam event’s semifinal round on June 2, 2026, at Court Philippe-Chatrier in Paris, France.

Fresh off a huge win over Jesper De Jong in the fourth round, Zverev never lost a step, sustaining his consistent shot-making and stellar service game against the Spanish teen sensation.

However, it wasn’t the walk in the park that the majority expected after Jodar stunned Zverev with a 5-2 lead, moving a set away from taking a momentum-boosting 1-0 advantage.

After scoring a break point in the sixth game to seal the three-game cushion, Jodar tasted the notes of an incoming upset, but the calm and collected Zverev showed his experience in the next six games, shocking the fans in attendance with a comeback for the ages.

Down 3-5, Zverev displayed nerves of steel and scored 10 consecutive points, which proved to be the turning point of the fourth-round showdown.

To make things worse, Jodar committed tons of unforced errors in the stretches he needed to reclaim, rewarding Zverev with several freebie points in the remaining four games.

Zverev served for the first-set lead and didn’t look back after breaking Jodar apart.

The Spanish challenger’s last opportunity was a chance to break him in the 12th game, but the more experienced German ace wouldn’t be denied and continued pummeling jaw-dropping down-the-line shots.

Unfortunately, Jodar ran out of gas after letting the first set slip away.

Sets 2 and 3 became more of a Zverev show, showcasing his consistent forehand power while also piling up the break points midway through each set.

Jodar attempted one final hurrah in the third and final set after storming to the net, but Zverev came prepared, firing lob counters that pushed the 19-year-old back to the baseline.

He even tried to target Zverev’s backhand side and forced him into more slice strokes.

Although he earned two points out of that risky move, the flashy tactic didn’t last long after the veteran star turned to his left shoulder for a more precise baseline hitting angle.

Zverev wrapped up the massive win with 107 total points won, including seven aces, four break points, and 45 points on the return.

“It was difficult,” Zverev said after the win.

“He was playing amazing and outplayed me in the beginning of the first set, but I managed to come back and he played a little bit of a nervous game when he served for it. Then I took my chances well and after that it was a good match for me.”