Tennis power couple Gaël Monfils and Elina Svitolina will compete at the ASB Classic in Auckland in January.
Frenchman Monfils, 37, from France, has risen to a career high sixth in the world on the back of 12 ATP titles.
And wife Svitolina, who has climbed 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 has 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.
Monfils made the semifinals of the ASB Classic 10 years ago.
He has battled injuries in recent years but the former world top ranked junior is looking to add to his 12 ATP titles.
Ukrainian 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 No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros, beating top seed Iga Swiatek on way to the semifinals at Wimbledon and losing to American world No.5 Jessica Pegula in the round of 32 at the US Open.
ASB Classic tournament director, Nicolas Lamperin said the tournament is excited to have attracted Monfils and Svitolina to Auckland.
“Gaël is an extraordinarily popular figure who has achieved so much on and off the court, while Elina is an absolute force in women’s tennis, and rapidly returning to her best form,” he said.
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