The pressure Elina Svitolina felt to win Sunday’s final at the ASB Classic came from a familiar source — her husband, Gael Monfils.

“This was very special,” the top-seeded Svitolina acknowledged after defeating No. 7 Wang Xinyu 6-3, 7-6 (6). “My husband won the title here last year. He said, ‘If you don’t win this year, I don’t know what to say.’”

Later, in a conversation with wtatennis.com, Svitolina elaborated.

“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.”

For a week at least, husband and wife are both reigning champions in Auckland. France’s Monfils, ranked No. 64, plays Fabian Marozsan in a first-round match. No. 2 seed Casper Ruud awaits the winner in the second round. Monfils, 39, says he’s playing his last season.

Svitolina and Monfils were already professional tennis’ power couple, but this one puts them in the history books. More than a half century ago, Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors won the 1974 Wimbledon titles. They danced at the Champions’ Dinner — but they were merely engaged at the time.

On Sunday, Svitolina took the first set in 32 minutes but needed more than twice that time to emerge from the second against a determined Wang. Svitolina finished with seven aces and three double faults, winning 74 percent of her first serves.

In the crucial tiebreak, her last three serves were all unreturnable.

“I feel like I was serving really, really well today,” Svitolina said. “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.”

The ultimate difference in this WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz matchup? Svitolina saved all four of the break points she faced. Wang was broken only once, in the sixth game of the first set, but it probably cost her the match.

This one was sweet for Svitolina, who lost the 2024 final here to Coco Gauff. She’s now a sporty 9-1 in Auckland. This was Svitolina’s third title since giving birth — and her first outside France, following Strasbourg in 2023 and 2025 Rouen.

Svitolina moves up to No. 12 from No. 13 on Monday. She hasn’t been ranked in the Top 10 since becoming a mother (2021) but is on the cusp again. Svitolina is one of five players aged or more, but only Jessica Pegula is older.

Here’s more with Svitolina: 

Congratulations on winning your 19th WTA Tour title … in your mind, what was the difference today?

I think the little adjustments. 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. 

You have won nine of 10 matches in Auckland … what is it about New Zealand that agrees with your game?

I like this tournament a lot. I think the organization is great. 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. 

Your daughter Skai … at three years old is she old enough to understand what her mother does for a living?

[Laughing]. To be fair, we never bring her on site. 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. 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.

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.

You made the quarterfinals at the Australian Open last year at the age of 30 — how excited are you for this year’s event in Melbourne?

Definitely excited. 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.