Gael Monfils reacts to wife Elina Svitolina asking about him during her US Open match

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• ATP Tennis

Gael Monfils says he and Elina Svitolina both simply "like to know everything is going good" when asked about his wife checking on him during her own US Open match. On Thursday, Monfils and Svitolina both played their second-round matches at the US Open.

Midway through the second set of her match against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Svitolina was heard asking the chair umpire during a changeover if Monfils' match against Andrey Rublev started. "Ref, can you tell me if my husband is playing on the Grandstand?" Svitolina asked.

Monfils on Svitolina asking about his US Open match

After suffering a straight-set defeat to Rublev, Monfils was asked about Svitolina enquiring about his match during her own match.

“I haven’t seen it. For me, I asked. It was 5-3 for her in the 3rd set. I said to the umpire ‘be discreet’.We both like to know everything’s going good," Monfils said. After coming back from a set down to beat Pavlyuchenkova 5-7 6-4 6-4, Svitolina revealed she needed a source of motivation when she asked about Monfils at 4-3 in the second set.

“I was just trying to get some little motivation, you know, from him. I know he is playing out there and just change my head little bit because I was not playing my best. I had to… you know to bring different energy and was just thinking about him little bit,” Svitolina explained after the match.

In Cincinnati, Monfils said one of his biggest joys in life is seeing his wife happy. “We had each other. It’s great to see her doing so good. So, I think both of us, we try to pull the best out of us. The downside is to see her suffering in the practice, in the fitness room; how much discipline and work she puts in, you know, to come back.

It’s just like, for me, another joy to see my wife compete and be happy on the court – that’s the first for a husband -- to see your wife happy," Monfils said in Cincinnati.