Svitolina and Monfils, Married Tennis Stars, Advance to US Open Mixed Doubles Semifinals

POLICY WIRE — New York, USA — Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils, both seasoned singles players, have yet to clinch a US Open title individually. However, as a married couple, they might finally achieve victory together. The duo secured their place in the mixed doubles semifinals on Tuesday, triumphing over Katerina Siniakova and Henry Patten with a score of 5-4 (6), 4-5 (3) (10-8).

Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz also participated, winning their first-round match but subsequently losing 5-4 (4), 4-1 to Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli. Svitolina and Monfils are set to face Bencic and Cobolli in one semifinal on Wednesday, while Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev will compete against Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik in the other. The winning team will receive a $1 million prize.

This significant sum would be a notable reward for Monfils, who plans to retire after this Grand Slam tournament. Post-match, Monfils remarked, Happy wife, happy life, following a kiss and hug with Svitolina on the court.

Williams and Alcaraz defeated Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool 5-3, 4-1 in Williams’ first US Open match since 2022. Williams expressed her joy, stating it was an amazing place to be and a cool moment she never expected to experience again.

Despite their initial success, Williams and Alcaraz seemed to lose momentum after a quick return to the court for their second match. Meanwhile, Andreeva and Rublev demonstrated resilience, saving a match point and overcoming Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori 1-4, 4-1 (11-9). Andreeva later revealed she used to have a crush on her partner, Rublev.

The US Open introduced a new format this year to include more doubles specialists, yet singles players dominated. Monfils, who turns 40 on September 1, reached the US Open semifinals in 2016, while Svitolina advanced to the final four in 2019. Their current semifinal appearance is particularly notable as they defeated a team featuring the top-ranked players in men’s and women’s doubles.

Monfils received a wild card for the singles tournament, and he and Svitolina were granted wild cards for the mixed doubles. Married in 2021, they welcomed their daughter Skaï the following year. Initially uncertain about their participation in New York, Svitolina mentioned they entered the tournament with no expectations, only refining their tactics on Monday.

Muchova and Mensik reached the semifinals with a 4-1, 5-3 win over Emma Navarro and Tommy Paul. Mensik coordinated outfits with Muchova, both wearing pink tops and maroon bottoms, emphasizing the importance of looking good on the court.

Siniakova and Patten defeated Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic 1-4, 4-2 (10-2) in the first round. The tournament’s format, introduced last year, aims to attract top singles players by offering quick matches that do not overly tax the players.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)