Elina Svitolina is caught adorably asking umpire if her husband Gael Monfils had begun playing midway through her own victory vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

Elina Svitolina found an unorthodox source of inspiration Thursday as she trailed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova at the US Open.

After dropping the first set 5-7, the Ukrainian began talking to the umpire during the changeover.

But the world no. 26 was actually focused on another match entirely, as she asked the official if her husband Gael Monfils had begun playing vs. Andrey Rublev. 

Svitolina would come back to win the match 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, and spoke afterwards about what she was trying to achieve with her uncommon question.

 ‘I was just trying to get a little motivation from him. I know he’s playing out there,’ Svitolina said to the Open’s in-house media after the match.

Monfils lost on Thursday while his wife Svitolina moved onto the third round of the Open

‘Just [to] change my head a little bit, I was not playing my best, I had to bring different energy.

Svitolina and Monfils have been married since 2021 and share a daughter, Skai, together. 

While Svitolina moved into the second round, Monfils was eliminated in four sets by Rublev.

She will play the winner of Jessica Pegula and Patricia Maria Tig in the next round.