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The Australian Open begins on Sunday with the world's best tennis players locking horns for the first Grand Slam title of the year. German star Alexander Zverev is seeded in third ahead of the tournament Down Under, with Carlos Alcaraz at number one and Jannik Sinner just ahead Zverev in second.

Last time out in Australia, Sinner defeated Zverev 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 in the final to secure his second Australian Open title. Zverev was unable to bring up a single break point during the entire encounter and will be aiming to improve his showing in the 2026 edition and win it, but faces stern competition yet again.

Ahead of the Grand Slam event, the Daily Express takes a closer look at Zverev's life off the court with actress and model girlfriend Sophia Thomalla.

The couple have been dating since 2020 and there is over a seven-year age gap between them. Zverev is currently 28, while Thomalla recently turned 36. Since going official, they have made several public appearances together and kept fans updated with posts to social media.

Zverev's Instagram account is more focused on tennis content, while Thomalla regularly posts about him as well as her job. They also do collaborative posts, with a recent one showcasing their holiday in the Maldives together. The couple stayed at Soneva Fushi - a luxury hotel in the shallow waters with some lodges even having a water slide from the top floor.

With the caption 'Memories made', a recent video showed the couple enjoying the water slide experience, with Zverev even fitting in some important tennis practice. Other activities included spikeball, dolphin-watching and snorkelling. The video concluded with a snap of the two sharing a kiss on a picturesque set of swings in the shallows.

Zverev has previously spoken about the importance of his relationship with Thomalla and how it helps him operate as an elite level 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 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."

Born in Germany to mum Simone Thomalla and dad André Vetters, Thomalla was set for a life on screen with both of her parents being actors. She lived in Cologne, Kleinmachnow and Gelsenkirchen growing up and went on to model, act and take on television presenting roles.

Some career highlights for Thomalla include presenting a local adaptation of American dating show Are You the One?. Being a superstar tennis player, Zverev boasts over two million followers on Instagram, but Sophia doesn't do badly either, with over 1.4m followers on the platform.

She is regularly seen at Zverev's matches, cheering him on from the stands as he competes in tournaments across the globe. This support extends to social media, made evident in 2024 after Zverev clinched the ATP Masters in Paris. "Finally a tree at home that doesn't die. Congrats," she joked posting a picture of Zverev with his tree-like trophy.

She has also previously praised the German's charity work with the Alexander Zverev Foundation. She wrote on Instagram: "@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."

Thomalla has previously addressed their age-gap and says that it doesn't bother her. She spoke about this in an interview with broadcaster RTL: "I don't think anything of it. It doesn't really matter to me and it was clear to me from the start that people are suspicious. Even if it had only lasted a month, it wouldn't have mattered to me."

On the topic of their hectic life, she told BILD: "We don't lead a normal life. We get up very early, we're on the go a lot. You don't have a base to hold on to. Accordingly, we don't have any holidays, but are mostly in hotels."