Gaël Monfils and wife Elina Svitolina are to play in the ASB Classic Photo: Supplied
Tennis super-couple Gaël Monfils and Elina Svitolina will compete at the ASB Classic in Auckland in January.
Monfils is one of the most entertaining and enduring tennis players on the globe, rising to a career high sixth in the world on the back of 12 ATP titles.
Svitolina, who has climbed over 1000 spots to 25 in the world since returning to tennis following the birth of their daughter Skai, has won 17 WTA titles along with the Tour Finals title in 2018 and the Olympic bronze medal in Tokyo.
The ASB Classic will be the first time that the couple have played in the same tournament, outside of Majors or 1000-level tournaments, with Monfils returning to Auckland for a third occasion, and his wife venturing to New Zealand for the first time.
In his previous appearances at the ASB Classic, Monfils losing to Alberto Martin in his early years on the ATP Tour, and made the semifinals 10 years ago.
The 37-year-old Frenchman has battled injuries in recent years but is looking to add to his ATP titles. His durability is noted with a record of reaching at least one final in 19 straight seasons from 2005 to 2023.
Before his Stockholm win last month, his previous best this season was the quarterfinal at the ATP 1000 in Canada where he lost in three sets to world number 4 Jannick Sinner.
Elina Svitolina in action at Wimbledon Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Svitolina, 29, had a career-high ranking of three in the world in 2017.
After being off the Tour for more than a year with the birth of her daughter, Svitolina returned eight months ago.
She showed her class in her return to the Majors this year - losing to current world number 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals at Roland Garros, beating top seed Iga Swiatek on way to the semifinals at Wimbledon and losing to American world number 5 Jessica Pegula in the round of 32 at the US Open.
Svitolina recently won the WTA 250 Tour title in Strasbourg to move to 25 in the world after being ranked outside the Top 1000 just three months previous.
