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

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.

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.

The world of Svitolina and many other Ukrainians turned upside down in late February last year when Russia invaded their country which Russian President Vladimir Putin called a “special military operation” to support the Russian-controlled breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, whose military forces had been fighting Ukraine in the Donbas conflict.

A few days later, Svitolina, after initially refusing to play against her Russian opponent Anastasia Potapova in the first round in Monterrey, came out dressed in Ukraine’s blue and gold colours and won the match 6-2, 6-1. Post the win, she said, “I think it’s my mission to unite our tennis community to stand with Ukraine, to help Ukraine because what we’re going through is a horrible thing for all Ukrainians.

“That’s why I’m here. That’s why I’m playing for my country and doing my best using my platform and using my resources to introduce that and try to invite people to support Ukraine.”

Former World No. 3 Svitolina has been outspoken on the subject ever since. She has advocated for a complete ban on Russians and Belarusian athletes for the 2024 Paris Olympics and refuses to shake hands with her opponents from these two countries after a match, as was the case against Russia’s Blinkova.

“I am Ukrainian. I am standing for my country, doing anything possible to support men and women who are right now in the front line fighting for our land, our country,” Svitolina said.