Svitolina turns family pressure into Auckland triumph
Elina Svitolina channels her husband Gael Monfils’s teasing challenge into a flawless run at the ASB Classic, outlasting Wang Xinyu to claim the title and climb to world No. 12.
Elina Svitolina walked into the ASB Classic final carrying a spark from home, her husband Gael Monfils’s victory here last year hanging in the air like the New Zealand wind that swept the courts. The top seed faced Wang Xinyu under a sky that promised a test of nerve as much as skill, the pressure building not just from the baseline rallies but from a playful taunt that lit a fire within. She emerged victorious 6-3, 7-6 (6), her game a blend of tactical poise and mental steel that silenced any doubts.
“This was very special,” Svitolina said after the match. “My husband won the title here last year. He said, ‘If you don’t win this year, I don’t know what to say.'”
“Before the tournament, he told me it would be amazing if we both won the same tournament,” she said, laughing. “He was not sure if this ever happened before. Of course, I had it always in the back of my mind. It really motivated me but also [created] a little bit of pressure. I tried to do my very best to get this title.”
Husband’s nudge fuels the fight
For a week, Svitolina and Monfils stood as Auckland’s reigning champions, a rare feat in tennis history that echoes back more than half a century to Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors claiming the 1974 Wimbledon titles while engaged. Monfils, ranked No. 64 and entering his last season at 39, prepares to face Fabian Marozsan in the first round, with No. 2 seed Casper Ruud waiting in the second. Svitolina’s win transformed that familial banter into quiet propulsion, her refreshed approach turning potential strain into sustained focus across the tournament.
The first set unfolded in 32 minutes, Svitolina’s crosscourt forehands carving openings amid the gusts, breaking Wang in the sixth game with a deep 1–2 pattern that pinned her opponent deep. She fired seven aces and just three double faults, claiming 74 percent of her first serves to build an early edge. Wang’s flat returns tested her depth, but Svitolina’s heavy topspin loops absorbed the pace, keeping the Chinese player scrambling on the outdoor hard courts.
The second set dragged into a tiebreak, Wang’s determination forcing Svitolina to dig deeper, saving all four break points she faced while her opponent converted none after that initial lapse. In the decider, her final three serves rocketed unreturnable, down-the-line bullets that sealed the point with precision. This resilience mirrored her week of adjustments, adapting to tricky winds that altered every inside-out attempt and slice backhand.
Serving anchors a gritty battle
“I feel like I was serving really, really well today,” Svitolina reflected. “It kept me in the match in the second set, then really brought me the win at the end in the tiebreak. Staying tough, fighting for every single point, yeah, kept me in the match.”
This victory avenged her 2024 final loss here to Coco Gauff, boosting her Auckland record to 9-1 and marking her third title since giving birth in 2021—the first outside France after Strasbourg in 2023 and Rouen in 2025. At 30, she joins four other top players that age or older, trailing only Jessica Pegula in seniority, her maturity adding layers to a game that thrives on baseline endurance. The crowd’s steady support, pulsing through day sessions and night matches alike, amplified her energy, their respect a counter to the isolation of the tour.
Svitolina’s 19th WTA title from 23 finals yields an 83 percent success rate, forged in finals where she enters with calm focus, treating each as a new chapter amid the pressure. Losses sharpen her, teaching her to seize small opportunities—like varying her one–two returns to disrupt rhythm or angling inside-in forehands against aggressive serves. Her path since motherhood has woven physical recovery with mental rebuilding, foot surgery and emotional drain giving way to this renewed edge.
Health drives Top 10 ambitions
Congratulations on your 19th WTA Tour title—what was the difference today? “I think the little adjustments,” she replied. “I feel like all this week, it’s been all about the adjustments, fighting against the wind, the really tricky opponents. For me, it was all about trying to find the little opportunities and to take them.”
Asked about Auckland’s draw, where she’s claimed nine of 10 matches, Svitolina praised the tournament’s smooth organization and engaging fans. “I like this tournament a lot,” she said. “The conditions, of course, can be sometimes tricky. But it’s for both players, and you just have to put your head down and get back to work. I love playing here because of the crowd. Doesn’t matter if you play the first match or very late, they are supporting, they are into tennis and very respectful.”
Family threads through her story, her three-year-old daughter Skai staying home in Europe with a nanny and grandparents, old enough to mimic swings but not fully grasp the circuit’s demands. “[Laughing]. To be fair, we never bring her on site,” Svitolina shared. “She’s in the city. This time she’s not, she’s back home in Europe. With a nanny and our parents. She understands that we play tennis. I don’t know if she understands completely what we do for a living. But she knows that daddy and mommy sometimes have to play tennis. She plays already herself. It’s great to see here grow up so quick.”
You have played in 23 finals and won 19 of them (83 percent), how do you explain that? “It’s nice to have these statistics,” she noted. “Of course, I’m very sad for those losses. It gives lots of confidence going into the final. Every final is a new story, a new chapter. I always try to be extremely focused on those finals. I know they can be up and down. You might not be playing your best tennis because pressure is playing a big role in it. I try to keep my calm, try to do what I can, yeah, keep fighting, find the small opportunities -- and take them.”
She rises to No. 12 from No. 13 on Monday, her highest ranking since motherhood pulled her from the Top 10 after 2021, now on the cusp of that elite circle. For 2026, health remains paramount after three post-pregnancy seasons derailed by injuries and fatigue. “You haven’t been Top 10 since you became a mother … but you’re up to No. 12 … what are your goals and expectations for 2026? It’s to stay healthy. This is the main goal for this year because for the three seasons I had after pregnancy, three of them I didn’t finish well. Two of them were because of my foot -- I had to have surgery -- then last year I was mentally drained, had no energy to continue. I’ve prioritized my mental health and my physicality. I think it’s really important, those two aspects. They play a major role for a tennis player, and for me personally. I really count a lot on my fighting spirit and of course my fitness and strength. When they are good, I can challenge any player. At the back of my mind, I have the goal to be back in the Top 10, but this is not a main goal.”
Last year’s Australian Open quarterfinals at age 30 benchmark her hard-court form, and this title sets her up for Melbourne’s intensity, with a week to recover from the breezes. “Definitely excited,” she said of the major ahead. “It’s great to win a title just before and to have one week in between to recover. Melbourne’s conditions are a bit different, but for me, it’s a great week with lots of tough matches. It’s nice to get through them. Just happy to leave New Zealand with the trophy.”
Svitolina’s Auckland mastery, blending family motivation with on-court savvy, positions her for a year where tactical depth and inner strength could reclaim her spot among the elite, carrying the Monfils legacy forward on her own terms.
