The German tennis star has been linked to the actress and model since 2020
Get to know Alexander Zverev‘s girlfriend.
The professional tennis player is dating Sophia Thomalla, a fellow German native who has been linked to the athlete since 2020.
Since then, they’ve made several public appearances together. Thomalla often posts sweet tributes to Zverev on social media, while he mainly keeps his profile dedicated to tennis-related photos.
However, the pro tennis player — who achieved a career-high ATP ranking of No. 2 in 2022 — speaks highly of Thomalla during interviews, specifically gushing about the importance of being in a relationship and having someone by his side, especially in relation to his job as an athlete.
“I think for tennis players it is always very important who you have next to you. Sophia is someone who gives me peace and security,” Zverev told a German tennis magazine in December 2021. “I play extremely well with her behind me and I hope that will continue to be the case next year and maybe even better. I haven’t achieved all of my goals yet.”
Win or lose, Thomalla always shows her support for Zverev on Instagram. “Lost but still won,” the model and actress captioned a photo that featured a selfie of the couple. “You’re the greatest…and a winner!” she wrote alongside another.
She was born and raised in Germany
Thomella is a German native, born in East Berlin on Oct. 6, 1989. Her parents, mom Simone Thomalla and dad André Vetters, are actors.
Throughout her childhood, she lived in Cologne, Kleinmachnow and Gelsenkirchen, in addition to Berlin. Later, she moved back to her home city where she grew up.
She’s a model and actress
Similar to her parents, Thomella pursued a career in the entertainment industry as model, actress and television presenter. She amassed fame in her native country, landing several gigs across German TV shows and movies.
Among her many credits include hosting a local adaptation of Are You the One?, a dating game show that originally premiered on MTV in the U.S. in 2014. The series brings together 20 single men and women looking to find love.
TV and film aside, Thomella entertains her million-plus followers on Instagram. She often posts photos of her travels, career updates, modeling campaigns, love life and her other day-to-day happenings.
She cheers Alexander Zverev on at tennis matches
Thomella has supported Zverev at various tennis tournaments over the years and can often be seen cheering from the stands while he plays on the court. Most recently, the model accompanied her beau to the 2023 US Open.
Thomella also praises Zverev’s work outside of tennis. In December 2022, she posted a sweet tribute on Instagram in honor of his charity. “@alexzverev123, you are beautiful inside and out. What you do for children with diabetes is incredible. I couldn’t be prouder of you and your @alexanderzverevfoundation 😊” she captioned the post.
On International Women’s Day in March 2023, she honored Zverev with a loved-up caption paired with a PDA-filled pic on Instagram. “I can do whatever I want on an international women’s day. And I want to appreciate this guy, 🤩” she wrote.
She was formerly in a high-profile relationship
Thomalla was linked to Gavin Rossdale in 2017, a romance that marked the first for the rocker following his split from Gwen Stefani.
He was spotted kissing and walking arm in arm with Thomalla in London in April that year. “They’re friends, introduced by a mutual friend,” a Rossdale source told PEOPLE at the time.
The two made their relationship Instagram official the following July. “Having fun in #Reno,” Rossdale captioned the photo of the then-couple in a now-deleted Instagram post.
Thomalla and Rossdale dated for a little over a year before calling it quits.
Prior to that, she was married to Norwegian singer Andy LaPlegua. They tied the knot in March 2016 and announced their divorce in May 2017.
“All the men I had something with broke up with me because in the end they couldn’t stand it anymore,” she told Grazia magazine at the time of her divorce. She said she’s “extremely independent,” explaining “how many men don’t like that in the long run.”