"It doesn't go any further than that"- Alexander Zverev quips about his secret handshake with girlfriend Sophia after Australian Open QF win

Alexander Zverev and his girlfriend Sophia Thomalla’s secret handshake ahead of his Australian Open fourth-round contest caught the attention of tennis fans and observers. It was unsurprising that the German was asked to elaborate on it after his win.

Zverev, who came through a 7-6(1), 7-6(0), 2-6, 6-1 win over Tommy Paul, joked about not wanting to talk about a handshake after a four-hour encounter but was quick to share a few details.

The German revealed that he and Sophia Thomalla have been together for three-and-a-half years, adding that having a secret handshake was the pinnacle of being the “coolest” back home in Germany.

Continuing the light-hearted banter with the interview, Zverev went on to express satisfaction with the execution of the secret handshake.

"Oh my God, I mean, what, what are you doing to me? I've just played for 4 hours now," Zverev joked. "Yeah, I mean, we, we've been together for 3.5 years now, like, you gotta understand we're German. This is like the coolest version of German you can be.

"So like this is, this is like the top of German coolness, like it doesn't go any further than that. So we, we did it, we did well," he added.

Alexander Zverev and Sophia Thomalla met each other through a mutual friend and began dating in 2020. The latter is often spotted at her boyfriend’s matches and has been in Melbourne since the start of the Australian Open.

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Alexander Zverev books Australian Open SF spot with win over Tommy Paul

Alexander Zverev in action against Tommy Paul during their quarterfinal at the 2025 Australian Open. (Source: Getty)

Alexander Zverev played a strong tactical match against Tommy Paul, a player who has troubled him in the past, during their Australian Open quarterfinal contest.

The German stayed solid behind serve and eked out the opening two sets in tiebreakers, but the American hit back with a 6-2 third set. His opponent, however, was quick to reset as he broke his opponent thrice in the fourth set to take the match 7-6(1), 7-6(0), 2-6, 6-1.

Zverev has made it to the Australian Open semifinal with the loss of just two sets. Prior to Paul, the German dropped a set against Ugo Humbert in the fourth round. He has beaten Jacob Fearnley, Pedro Martinez and Lucas Pouille in straight sets.

The German will next take on the winner of the quarterfinal between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic.