Svitolina and Monfils — pushing each other to fight their best fights

Through thick and thin: Monfils has struggled to find his rhythm — he could not win a single Tour-level match this year since his return from injury in March. The lives of Svitolina and many other Ukrainians turned upside down in late February last year when Russia invaded their country. | Photo: Getty Images

Elina Svitolina could be watched cheering Gael Monfils from the stands as the Frenchman pushed himself to fight before eventually going down to Matteo Berrettini in five sets on a floodlit Rod Laver Arena at last year’s Australian Open in Melbourne. Similar visuals, with roles reversed, warmed the hearts of tennis fans around the world on Friday as Monfils and Svitolina’s coach Raemon Sluiter saw the Ukrainian come from a set down to beat Anna Blinkova 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 in third round of French Open on Court Simmone-Mathieu.

The couple has returned to Grand Slam tennis in Paris after missing the last four Majors. Both, husband and wife, have gone through different journeys in the past year-and-a-half and supported each other along the way.