Svitolina opens up on playing in the same tournaments as husband Monfils - "It's definitely not a distraction"

Regarded as the newest power couple in tennis, Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils have much reason to celebrate as they compete at their first US Open as a married couple.

The pair made their relationship public in 2019, eventually tying the knot in July 2021. Since getting married, their level of play seems to have risen with Svitolina winning the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics and Monfils rediscovering that form that saw him crack the Top 10 in the ATP Rankings.

Following her third round victory over Daria Kasatkina at the US Open, Svitolina (who goes by her maiden name on the WTA circuit) revealed what it was like to compete in the same tournaments as her husband.

"It’s amazing," she said. "Some people might say it can be a distraction. For us, it definitely is not a distraction. It’s a big motivation for both of us because we both are in the tournament and both very competitive."

The Ukrainian added that there is also a competitive edge to their relationship, with each trying to outdo the other in terms of result. However, she stated that it was a blessing to have someone share the same goals and offer support at that level of competition.

"We try to put everything that is possible into it, to both go far in the tournament, try to do better than the other one," revealed Svitolina. "I’m happy that we’re playing different days because then we can focus on one person, then the other one. It’s very nice to have someone next to you at the same sport and top level who understands and who supports you and shares the same goals."