Monfils and Svitolina – a support system for each other on and off the court

FILE PHOTO: Monfils and Svitolina have been each other’s support system since announcing their relationship in 2019. | Image credit: GETTY IMAGES

Elina Svitolina cheered Gael Monfils on from the stands as the Frenchman battled hard before falling to Matteo Berrettin in five sets at floodlit Rod Laver Arena at last years Australian Open in Melbourne. Similar visual roles with reversed roles warmed the hearts of tennis fans around the world on Friday as Monfils and Svitolinas coach Raemon Sluiter saw the Ukrainian emerge from the match with a 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 win over Anna Blinkova. French Open third round at Court Simmone-Mathieu.

The pair have returned to Grand Slam tennis in Paris after skipping the last four major tournaments. Both, husband and wife, have gone through different journeys in the last year and a half and supported each other along the way.

Svitolina’s and many other Ukrainians’ worlds were turned upside down in late February last year following Russia’s invasion of their country, which Russian President Vladimir Putin called a special military operation in support of the Russian-controlled breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk.

A few days later, Svitolina, after initially refusing to play her Russian opponent Anastasia Potapova in the first round in Monterrey, donned the blue and gold of Ukraine and won the match 6–2, 6–1. After the win, he said that I think it’s my job to unite our tennis community to stand by Ukraine, to help Ukraine, because what went through is a terrible thing for all Ukrainians. That’s why I’m here. That’s why I play for my country and do my best to use my platform and resources to showcase it and try to call people to support Ukraine.

Former world No. 3 Svitolina has been outspoken on the subject ever since. He has advocated a complete ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes from the 2024 Paris Olympics and refuses to shake hands with opponents from the two countries after a match, as happened against Russia’s Blinkova.

I am Ukrainian. I stand for my country and do everything I can to support the men and women who are on the front lines right now fighting for our country, our country,” Svitolina said.

Can you imagine the guy or girl on the front line looking at me and acting like nothing happened?

Svitolina was also going through a big change in her personal life over the past year. The couple, who got married just before the Tokyo Olympics, welcomed a baby girl – Skin – in October. It would not have been easy for Svitolina to return to Tour-level tennis in Charleston this year, having not played since the Miami Open just over 12 months ago.

Well, I’m just trying to play match by match. I came here without any expectations. Returning after giving birth is very complicated. But I’m really motivated to go further in this tournament and I have really tough opponents. So it’s about recovering and being ready for the next fight, she said after Blinkova’s win.

However, his performances at the ongoing French Open and last week’s Championship in Strasbourg have shown what a fighter he is. Her fourth-round match against ninth-seeded Daria Kasatkina of Russia proved to be a big test, but the Ukrainian held on to win 6-4, 7-6(5) to reach the French Open quarter-finals for the fourth time. his career.

Monfils and his injury struggles

Monfils is one of the remaining members of French tennis’ New Musketeers, the other being Richard Gasquet after Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gilles Simon bid farewell last year. La Monf withdrew from last year’s domestic slam with a right leg injury, returned to Tour-level tennis in Canada and suffered the same injury again in the third round. Only this time things got worse and the 36-year-old was unable to play for the next seven months.

The 64-year-old Frenchman, a former world No. 6, is known for his unusual sliding technique, athleticism and showmanship. Struggling to find his rhythm, he couldn’t win a single Tour-level match this year after returning to Indian Wells in March. However, those aspects of his game were on display in front of the home fans in the Roland-Garros night game on Court Philippe-Chatrier on Tuesday.

Monfils appeared to suffer from cramps at the end of the fifth round against a much younger opponent in Argentina’s Sebastian Baez and went 0-4. However, in the next 11 minutes, the local favourite, smiling at adversity, won four straight games to level the scores, leading to surreal scenes as the Parisian crowd and Monfils himself broke into the national anthem La Marseillaise. Monfils struck. Baez 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 1-6, 7-5 starts a second round match with Holger Rune.

However, the much-anticipated match, which was scheduled to take place on Thursday night, could not take place as Monfils withdrew from the tournament due to a wrist injury.

Monfils said: I’m not sure how I feel, but it’s more than disappointing. How many [more] Am I playing Roland-Garro? That’s the question. I don’t know what the answer is. How many do I play? For now, I’m trying to digest this.

While it would have been hard to expect much from Monfils, the fact that the younger generation of French tennis didn’t show up raises a lot of questions. No French player reached the third round this year, which has only happened once before in the Open Era.

Monfils and Svitolina – support system

Monfils and Svitolina have both been each other’s support system since they announced their relationship in 2019. Whether it’s the Ukrainian defending Monfils after he was racially abused after the 2020 Italian Open, or the Frenchman standing by him during his struggling in a state of war at home, both former junior Grand Slam champions have faced challenges together and will continue to do so.