Alexander Zverev opens up on the importance of Sophia's presence at his matches

Zverev's recent defeat, fated by harsh weather conditions in the Cincinnati Open, might require some support to come out from, and Sophia's presence in New York should help Alexander Zverev give his best in the final Grand Slam of the year. Previously, during an interview in 2021 with a German magazine, he said:
“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. 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."
Sophia's return by the ATP player's side could also mean the return of their traditional handshakes before the matches. They started the ritual at the Australian Open earlier this year. Talking about it, the German pro said:
"Look, man, you got to understand we are German, this is the coolest version of German that you can be. This is the top of German coolness, it does not go any further than that."
Alexander Zverev and Sophia Thomalla have been romantically linked since late 2021. They dated for about a year privately before going public via social media in October 2021. Sophia is the daughter of well-known German actors Simone Thomalla and André Vetters.