“This trophy for me is very important, because if I would have lost this one, the self-belief would have gone down a lot,” Zverev admitted after his five-set victory over Flavio Cobolli. “But now that I've won it, I feel like I can do it again.

“Now no matter what happens, I will always be a Grand Slam champion, and nobody can take that away from me. Maybe that does give me some freedom.

“Maybe my mind will just be a little bit calmer when I play a final, meaning that even if I lose it, I will still be a Grand Slam champion.”

Sunday’s crowning achievement represents the pinnacle of professional triumph for Zverev and the end of an interminable wait.

In his 41st Grand Slam main draw, and his fourth major singles final, the stars aligned for the 29-year-old Hamburg native, a great weight finally off his shoulders as he fell to the clay and celebrated a moment ten years in the making. 

Only Goran Ivanisevic, who needed 48 attempts to win his first major title, has taken longer to win a Grand Slam in terms of men's singles main draw starts. In Paris, only Novak Djokovic, who needed 12 appearances to win his first Roland-Garros title, has taken longer than Zverev (11). 

Zverev said it was surreal to fall to the clay in triumph on the same court where he suffered in agony during his semifinal against Rafael Nadal in 2022. He tore multiple ligaments in his ankle and feared he’d never be the same player again. 

Two years later, the German squandered a two sets to one lead against Carlos Alcaraz in a gripping final. He was playing at his peak and still had the trophy yanked from his arms by a lightning bolt talent who was just starting to dominate the tour.

“When I was on the ground, all the emotions came out because I think this court is very, very special to me,” Zverev said, explaining the complexity of his emotions. “It's special in a very positive way, but also special in a negative way, because I had some of the toughest moments of my tennis career here. 

“I was laying on this court with an injury that I didn't know if I would ever come back from. I lost a Grand Slam final here.”

Zverev said Sunday’s victory, which made him the first German to win a Roland-Garros title in 89 years, and the first man from his country to win a major singles title since 1996, won’t erase the memories of his past from his head, but he turned to the shining silver trophy beside him and said it doesn't really matter now. 

“All of those memories for me, they're not wiped out," he said. "They're still with me, but this one will beat all of them.”