Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils don’t currently have the problem of being away from family on the professional tennis circuit. The married couple are competing at the Miami Open and have both won through to the last-16 of their respective draws.

Svitolina beat Karolina Muchova 6-2 3-6 6-2 on Sunday, just hours before Monfils came through a cliffhanger with Jaume Munar. He needed a deciding set tie-break to beat the Spaniard before prevailing 7-5 5-7 7-6 (1). The pair have now helped each other prepare for their fourth-round matches with an impromptu husband and wife practice session.

Svitolina, 30, has now shared details of their time together on court. The world No.22 said both stars enjoy hitting up with each other, but conceded that the session was probably more beneficial for her than it was for Monfils.

“It was a good practice,” she said. “I mean when we practice together we both enjoy it a lot. I feel like for me, it's very good, but for him, I'm not so sure.”

The Ukrainian is due back on court in the early hours of Tuesday morning to play second seed Iga Swiatek . She underlined how practicing with Monfils, 38, has boosted her ahead of her clash with the Pole, adding: “I can adjust my feet really quick, be on with my footwork which is really important and a big part of my game.”

Monfils will play against Sebastian Korda later in the day. After both played in Indian Wells, the couple headed to Miami together, where they took their two-year-old daughter Skai with them.