German tennis star Alexander “Sascha” Zverev is looking to win his first Grand Slam title at the French Open on Sunday, June 9. Zverev, the No. 4 seed, will face Carlos Alcaraz, the No. 3 seed, in the men’s final at Roland Garros.
Cheering Zverev on, his girlfriend and No. 1 fan, Sophia Thomalla. After Zverev defeated Casper Ruud to clinch his first final at the Philippe-Chatrier court, Thomalla, a German actress and model, posted a message of support on her Instagram Stories.
“OMG,” Thomalla wrote over the announcement of Zverev’s advancement to the final.
Thomalla, who hosted Germany’s version of MTV’s “Are You the One?,” started dating Zverev in 2020, per People magazine. She is a regular at the tennis star’s matches. In April, the 35-year-old bundled up in a blanket to watch her boyfriend play in cold and rainy weather at the BMW Open in Munich.
In January, Thomalla celebrated Zvarev’s ranking with a tribute on Instagram. She wrote, “Starting the year as top 3 in the world – there are worse things to do. Australia – you’ve been good to us! ❤️🇦🇺 thanks for the love. Looking forward to being home.”
Zverev shared his love on Instagram for Thomalla on her birthday. He posted on October 6, “Happy birthday to the multitalented physio, panda mom and dog sitter 🎂🥳💃🏼 Lack of career options was never a problem but I thought people should know the most important ones 😂😂❤️❤️.”
Alexander Zverev Shares a Daughter With Ex-Girlfriend Brenda Patea, the Former Couple Settled Out of Court Following Accusations of Physical Abuse
Before Zverev defeated Ruud in the semifinals, his former relationship with Brenda Patea, with whom he shares a daughter, made headlines. Zverev “reached an out-of-court settlement” with Patea, DW News’ Jonathan Crane reported on June 7.
Patea accused Zverev of strangling her at the model’s Berlin apartment building in May 2020. The Berlin court’s presiding judge Barbara Lüders announced proceedings were “discontinued” without verdict, Crane reported.
Katharina Dierlamm, one of Zverev’s criminal defense lawyers told the court, “We are happy that an agreement has been reached. This is for the good of the child that they have together, so it has the chance to grow up without conflict.”
Kristin Hartmann, one of Patea’s lawyers confirmed to DW News, “We applied for the settlement. The daughter was really suffering. So now they can both look to the future and get on with their lives. We ended this deal with [the feeling] that people should stop throwing things at each other.” Craned noted that “under the agreement, there is no admission of guilt by Zverev.”
The Olympic gold medalist agreed to pay the $218,000 in court costs.
Former Tennis Player Olga Sharypova, an Ex-Girlfriend of Alexander Zverev, Accused Him of Physical Abuse
Zverev was previously accused of physical and emotional abuse by Olga Sharypova, another ex-girlfriend. “Sharypova, a former player, alleged in 2020 that Zverev attempted to strangle her with a pillow and hit her head against a wall at a New York hotel before the US Open in 2019,” The Guardian reported. “She said she feared for her life at the time.”
After a 15-month investigation into the allegations, the ATP announced Zverev would not be punished. “Based on a lack of reliable evidence and eyewitness reports, in addition to conflicting statements by Sharypova, Zverev and other interviewees, the investigation was unable to substantiate the allegations of abuse, or determine that violations of ATP’s on-site offenses or player major offenses rules took place,” the ATP said.
Alexander Zverev ‘Never’ Wants to ‘Hear Another Question’ Regarding the Settlement With Brenda Patea
Zverev didn’t mince words while addressing reporters before facing Alcaraz, a 21-year-old two-time title champion, at the French Open.
“I’m happy that it’s over,” Zvarev said when asked about the settlement with Patea on June 8. When pressed on the topic, “Done. We move on,” he answered. “I never want to hear another question about the subject again. That goes out to everybody.”
The winner of the French Open takes home $2.6 million in prize money, USA Today reported, while the runner-up bags $1.3 million.
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Alexander Zverev’s Girlfriend’s 1-Word Message Before French Open Final