Alexander Zverev’s girlfriend Sophia Thomalla gushes over German's victory against Rafael Nadal in French Open 1R

Alexander Zverev's girlfriend Sophia Thomalla recently reacted to her boyfriend pulling off one of the biggest shocks in tennis history by defeating 14-time champion Rafael Nadal in the first round of the 2024 French Open. Thomalla shared her excitement by posting a picture of the two rivals hugging at the net after the match.

World No. 4 Zverev had lost three of his previous 10 meetings against Nadal. The Spaniard, who is widely regarded as the greatest clay-court player of all time, had a 112-3 record at Roland Garros. But on Monday, Zverev produced a masterclass of aggressive tennis, beating Nadal 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-3 in three hours and 12 minutes at the Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Zverev and Thomalla have been dating since 2020, and have often been seen supporting each other at various events. Thomalla, who is a famous actress, model, and TV presenter in Germany, has accompanied Zverev to several tennis tournaments.

The actress reacted to the German's victory by posting a scorecard of the latter's first-round victory on her Instagram story on Monday 27.

Sophia Thomalla on Instagram

Thomalla posted another story of Nadal and Zverev's warm embrace at the net after the match and captioned it with a heart emoji.

Sophia Thomalla on Instagram

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Alexander Zverev acknowledges Rafael Nadal’s legacy after beating him in possible last French Open match

Rafael Nadal and Alexander Zverev at the 2024 French Open

Alexander Zverev paid tribute to Rafael Nadal’s greatness after defeating him in straight sets in the opening round of the French Open.

Zverev abbreviated his post-match speech to allow Nadal to savor the moment, as it might have been his final appearance in Paris. Having grown up watching the Spaniard, Zverev expressed that he felt "lucky" to have competed against the 14-time champion of the clay-court Grand Slam.

"To be honest, I don't know what to say. First of all, thank you Rafa. From all of the tennis world, it's such a great honour. I have watched Rafa play all my childhood. and I was lucky enough to play him when I turned professional. I was lucky enough to play him twice on this beautiful court," Zverev stated.

"I don't know what to say. Today is not my moment, it's Rafa's moment. So,I am not going to speak much," he added in an emotional tone amidst the roar of the crowd.

Fourth seed Alexander Zverev advanced to the second round, where he will face either David Goffin or French wildcard Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.