Overview
- Hours after his second Grand Slam at the US Open, Alexander Zverev was phoned into a recorded Wer wird Millionär? Prominenten‑Special in Cologne to join girlfriend Sophia Thomalla in the studio.
- During the roughly 18‑hour‑later call Zverev said he had not slept since the final, answered a quiz 'phone‑joker' question correctly and discussed Thomalla’s absence from the match.
- Reporters and RTL say Thomalla missed the final because she was working and watched the match on a tablet while traveling from Berlin to Cologne with host Günther Jauch.
- Günther Jauch clarified the segment was pre‑recorded and RTL confirmed the Prominenten‑Special will be broadcast on 19 November 2026 at 20:15 as part of the RTL‑Spendenmarathon.
- The exchange highlights how broadcasters repurpose immediate sports headlines into human‑interest TV moments and signals growing crossover between live sports coverage and scripted entertainment slots.