Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils attends Citi Taste of Tennis Washington, D.C. 2023 on July 30, 2023 in Washington, DC.
Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils attends Citi Taste of Tennis Washington, D.C. 2023 on July 30, 2023 in Washington, DC. . Photo: Leigh Vogel/Getty
Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina — professional tennis players and husband and wife — have been intertwining their personal and professional worlds for years.
Before competing at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the athletic pair met in the city of love six years prior. Monfils from France and Svitolina from Ukraine had been crossing paths at global tournaments for years but finally met when he reached out to her. After a brief engagement, they were married on July 16, 2021.
The following year, Monfils and Svitolina welcomed their daughter Skaï, and the new mom returned to tennis shortly after. Monfils was amazed by his wife’s strength after expanding their family.
”I’m surprised how well she came back, how strong she is mentally and physically. It’s just amazing,” he said at a 2024 press conference. They continue to provide one another with support on and off the court, including at the 2024 US Open.
From custom wedding looks by late fashion designer Virgil Abloh to competing at the Paris Olympics, here’s everything to know about Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina’s relationship.
They met in Paris
Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina.
Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina. Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina/Instagram
While the pair had been crossing paths for years as professional tennis players, they finally met when Monfils reached out to Svitolina, inviting her to join him and his friends for drinks after she won the 2018 WTA Finals in Singapore.
“I had known Gael for quite some time, as we constantly participated in the same tournaments. But there was very little communication: he knew that I was in a long relationship,” Svitolina said in 2019. “At the end of 2018, after winning the final tournament [in Singapore], I went to celebrate with my Paris friends. I posted a photo on Instagram, and Gael wrote to me. We met and could no longer part.”
Monfils and Svitolina had a romantic engagement in the mountains
Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina.
Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina. Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina/Instagram
After a few years of dating, Monfils and Svitolina announced their engagement on Instagram on April 3, 2021.
In the post, the couple posed showing off Svitolina’s three-stone emerald-cut engagement ring against the romantic backdrop of snow-covered mountains.
They married in July 2021
Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina attends the Crown IMG Tennis Party on January 19, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia.
Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina attends the Crown IMG Tennis Party on January 19, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. James D. Morgan/Getty
On July 16, 2021, Monfils and Svitolina officially tied the knot.
For the ceremony, the pair both wore custom Off-White looks by the late Virgil Abloh and his team. Svitolina’s “DREAM DRESS” was untraditional — a white pantsuit with a sheer, cascading purple skirt around the waist.
Monfils and Svitolina share a daughter
Elina Svitolina and Skai Monfils.
Elina Svitolina and Skai Monfils. Elina Svitolina/Instagram
On October 15, 2022, Monfils and Svitolina announced the birth of their first child, a daughter named Skaï.
“I had the most amazing night of my life, which ended with the most beautiful gift around 6:00Am. Elina was strong and brave💪🏾🙏🏾I can’t t thx enough, my wife and God, for this special moment 🙏🏾Welcome to the world, my little princess SKAÏ ❤️,” Monfils wrote on Instagram.
The couple share photos of their daughter from time to time, but keep her face hidden.
Monfils thinks Svitolina’s mental and physical strength is “amazing”
Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina with their daughter Skai.
Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina with their daughter Skai. Elina Svitolina/Instagram
Following the birth of Skaï, Monfils praised his wife for her return to her tennis career. At a press conference in 2024, the French athlete said, “She’s a great mother first. That’s first. People want to put tennis first but I think she’s a great mother first. This is the most important for me as her husband because of course we are a tennis couple but life is beyond our sport.”
He continued, “She’s an excellent and great mother and as you said she managed it well on the court. I’m surprised how well she came back, how strong she is mentally and physically. It’s just amazing.”
Given that Svitolina is Ukrainian, her husband also praised her resilience amid Russia’s invasion of her home country: “I can’t really tell you so much because even me I’m amazed and of course with the Ukraine situation … It’s just amazing and she’s a tough woman.”
They have a joint Instagram account
Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina.
Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina. Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina/Instagram
While both Monfils and Svitolina have personal social media accounts, they also share a joint page called G.E.M.S. Life.
There, the couple share life updates, personal photos (including with their dog) and even glimpses into their parenting. With over 100,000 followers, it’s a destination for fans of the tennis pros.
Monfils and Svitolina both competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics
Elina Svitolina during the Women’s Singles first round match on day two of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Roland Garros on July 28, 2024 in Paris, France. ; Gael Monfils reacts during the Tennis training session ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 24, 2024 in Paris, France.
Elina Svitolina during the Women’s Singles first round match on day two of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Roland Garros on July 28, 2024 in Paris, France. ; Gael Monfils reacts during the Tennis training session ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 24, 2024 in Paris, France. Matthew Stockman/Getty ; Matthew Stockman/Getty
Monfils and Svitolina both competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics, taking things back to where it all started for the couple.
Representing her home country, Svitolina wrote on Facebook, “140 athletes during the war represent our country at the Olympics in Paris. In the history of global sport we have never seen such examples, but it once again proves that Ukrainians are a nation of brave and resilient people.”
After losing to Italian player Lorenzo Musetti, Monfils wrote: “Thank you Paris for your incredible support last night to Roland Garros 🙏🏾. Playing night sessions is always an amazing experience (although it’s not always easy haha 😂).”
But despite the stress of the competition, the pair were able to stay lighthearted, sharing a video on Instagram of Svitolina attempting to speak French.
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