When Alexander Zverev walked onto the court trailing by a set against defending champion Alexei Popyrin, his girlfriend Sophia Thomalla was watching from thousands of miles away. What happened next turned a potential upset into another masterclass comeback, sending the German into his first Masters 1000 semifinal since Paris last year.
How Did Alexander Zverev Turn Around His Canadian Open Quarterfinal Match?
Defending champion Alexei Popyrin posed a significant challenge for Zverev on his road to the semifinals. The opening set was tightly contested and headed to a tiebreak, where the German failed to convert two set points and the Aussie eventually prevailed 7-6(8).
Cool, calm, and composed 😎
Zverev breaks Alexei Popyrin’s NBO win streak and books his ticket to the semi-finals 🔒@nationalbank pic.twitter.com/dL6QzfmXv9
— National Bank Open (@NBOtoronto) August 5, 2025
But the World No. 3 drew on his experience and put his best foot forward in the following two sets. He took the second set 6-4 and, despite a brief disruption from an unruly heckler in the third, regained his rhythm to close it out 6-3. With that victory, he booked a spot in his 21st Masters 1000 semifinal, and his first since the Paris Masters last year.
What Did Sophia Thomalla Do to Celebrate Zverev’s Canadian Open Win?
Though often seen courtside at Zverev’s matches, Thomalla supported him from afar during his Canadian Open quarterfinal. She celebrated his comeback win by sharing a Tennis TV post along with a brief reaction on her Instagram story.
Zverev and Thomalla have been together since 2020 and haven’t kept their relationship a secret. Widely recognized in Germany, Thomalla has built a successful career in entertainment as a model, actress, and television presenter. Among her notable projects is hosting the German edition of Are You the One?, the popular MTV dating show that first aired in the U.S. in 2014.
What Strategy Did Zverev Use Against Popyrin’s Serve?
After his phenomenal comeback win over Popyrin, Zverev said he had to adjust his return position early due to Popyrin’s strong serve. He felt he played well overall, aside from one loose service game in the second set.
“I had to find a return position in the beginning because he’s a very big server, and when he gets into a rhythm, it’s very difficult against him. I did that in the second and third set. Honestly, I can’t complain about much. I played one loose game on my serve in the second set, but apart from that, it was pretty good,” he said after the match.
While he remained wary of his opponent’s serve, it was Zverev’s own dominant serving that made the difference, winning 82% of his first-serve points. The victory extended his head-to-head record against the Aussie to 4-0, as he now looks ahead to a semifinal clash with Russia’s Karen Khachanov.
