Alexander Zverev's girlfriend Sophia sends loving message to German as he triumphs in Munich on 28th birthday
Alexander Zverev rang in his 28th birthday in delightful fashion by clinching the title at the 2025 BMW Open in Munich. Zverev's girlfriend, Sophia Thomalla, celebrated the German's birthday and his victory with endearing messages.
Zverev battled it out against Ben Shelton in the final of the ATP 500 event. Overcoming his poor run of form, the German produced a stellar performance to claim a 6-2, 6-4 victory and notch up his third Munich title as well as his first title of the season. He also dethroned Carlos Alcaraz to reclaim the World No. 2 ranking ahead of the Madrid Open.
Alexander Zverev's girlfriend, Sophia Thomalla, proudly cheered him on from the stands during his victory over Ben Shelton. Thomalla also marked the occasion by emotionally reflecting on the German's journey since he won his maiden title in Munich in 2017 at 20 years of age.
"Baby back then 🥰🍼🐣," Thomalla posted on her Instagram story.
"A man today ❤️ happy birthday my love ❤️," she wrote.
Thomalla also shared a loving message as she captured Zverev's birthday celebrations in an adorable selfie.
"My Birthday boy ❤️," she posted.
Alexander Zverev also received birthday wishes from Ben Shelton during the trophy presentation, as the American humorously admitted to being unaware of the occasion.
"I want to congratulate Sascha. Home tournament. Big to get a win here. It’s your birthday too. I didn’t know that. Happy Birthday. I would’ve said like, this is a birthday gift, but I had no clue," Shelton said.
Apart from the wishes, Zverev received a brand new all-electric BMW IX M70 for his triumph. Former US Open champion Dominic Thiem handed over the keys to the German, with the duo sharing a warm hug.
"It’s definitely a great birthday present" - Alexander Zverev on 'special' triumph in Munich
Following his victory, Alexander Zverev opened up about how meaningful it was for him to triumph in Germany. The 28-year-old also referred to the "special" victory as an exceptional birthday gift.
"It’s extremely special, I always love winning tournaments in Germany. It’s probably the most special thing I can do. It’s definitely a great birthday present, let’s put it that way," Zverev said.
The World No. 2 also disclosed that he had enjoyed his birthday immensely after producing some of his best tennis to down Ben Shelton, who had been in impressive form.
"I definitely knew I had to play my best tennis today, Ben has been playing extremely well this week. The conditions suit him extremely well, it’s very hot and very fast. They suit me as well, to be fair. I enjoyed my birthday so far," he added.
Both Alexander Zverev and Ben Shelton will now head to Spain for the Madrid Open. They will be joined by the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, and Daniil Medvedev at the ATP Masters 1000 event.