Who are Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils? Alex Eala and Felix Auger-Aliassime's first-round foes at US Open mixed doubles

Alex Eala and Felix Auger-Aliassime will face a formidable husband-and-wife tandem in their 2026 US Open mixed doubles debut, with Ukrainian star Elina Svitolina and French veteran Gael Monfils standing in their way.

The two pairs lock horns on Tuesday at 10 p.m. (Philippine time) at the Louis Armstrong Stadium in what promises to be a star-studded opening-round showdown.

So, who exactly are Svitolina and Monfils?

Svitolina and Monfils have been playing professionally for the longest time with the players reaching career-highs of No. 3 and No. 6, respectively, in the world rankings. Currently, the 31-year-old Svitolina is at No. 9 as she has 20 singles titles while the 39-year-old Monfils is at No. 307 and holds 13 titles in the singles tournament.

While tennis has been at the heart of their lives for most of their careers, it was away from the court where Svitolina and Monfils found love.

The two met in Paris in 2018 and were engaged in April 2021. They tied the knot three months before they welcomed their first daughter, Skai, in October 2022.

Despite being together for almost a decade now, their upcoming US Open partnership will be the first time that Svitolina and Monfils will share the court in an official tour-level tournament.

And the occasion could be even more special for Monfils, who is in the final season of his career and has his sights set on playing until he turns 40 on September 1.

Svitolina and Monfils will get to test their husband-and-wife magic against rising Filipina star Eala and Canadian ace Auger-Aliassime, with the winner setting up another heavyweight clash in the second round.

There awaits the winner of the match that pits Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovoc against top-ranked doubles players Katerina Siniakova and Henry Patten.

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