Wouldn’t we all love to achieve couple goals like Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina?
On an unforgettable day in their three-and-a-half-year marriage, the enduring fan favourites each claimed upset wins over No.4 seeds at Australian Open 2025. Featuring in back-to-back matches at Margaret Court Arena, Monfils and Svitolina both achieved come-from-behind wins.
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“I think I warmed up the court for her!” beamed Monfils, after a 3-6 7-5 7-6(1) 6-4 victory over the in-form Taylor Fritz.
If it was a gallant gesture as a husband, it was even more impressive as a player. The Frenchman became only the second man to reach the final 16 at age 38 or older since 1988 after Roger Federer in 2020. With his 37th match win in Melbourne, he joined Jo-Wilfried Tsonga’s all-time AO men’s singles match wins by a French player.
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And having thrived in what he described as the perfect setting – “A big player, big stadium, good crowd, good energy” – Monfils promptly completed his post-match obligations and returned to the same court.
There, he proudly watched on as his wife recovered from a slow start against Jasmine Paolini and emerged with a 2-6 6-4 6-0 win. “It was a crazy battle today,” she smiled. “I want to say I got inspired after my husband’s win.”
Monfils now enters an Australian Open fourth second for the sixth time in 19 main-draw campaigns at Melbourne Park. The 30-year-old Svitolina, contesting her 12th Australian Open, is relishing a fifth appearance in the tournament’s final 16.
As Monfils and Svitolina juggle parenting duties to two-year-old daughter Skai, there’s also a success-breeding-success theme to their professional life.
Following victory at the ATP lead-in event in Auckland – where he became the oldest man to lift an ATP trophy since Ken Rosewall in 1977 – Monfils has constructed a nine-match winning streak.
Svitolina, meanwhile, is building on her achievement as the first Ukrainian player in history to claim 100 Grand Slam match wins.
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“Most of the big tournaments we have each other by our sides. It means a lot to us to have someone who understands what we are going through. Yeah, it's a really nice feeling for me personally,” Svitolina related.
“It is nice when you come back to your room, you have a little chat about the matches, about the upcoming matches.”
It gives hope that Monfils and Svitolina could each improve on their previous-best Australian Open performances as quarterfinalists – in another fascinating parallel, a milestone they have each achieved twice.
Yet there’s clearly many dimensions to the couple’s success story. “My dream is to have an unbelievable family,” said Monfils. “Tennis is cool. Of course, you want to have goal, dream, whatever. But my dream is out there.”
And beyond their touring life, the duo clearly cherish their family life.
“When we go back home, we completely switch off from that. We just enjoy our time as a family, as a mom and dad with our daughter,” Svitolina related.
“Yes, it's really [a] unique connection that we have. I'm really happy the way that we've been dealing with these things.”
And regardless of what happens next for the game’s most high-profile couple, they’ll always have their special day at AO 2025.
“It’s really a great day for us today, beating top-four players and playing great tennis,” Svitolina added. “So yes, it's a great day for us.”