Recently, Elina Svitolina penned an open letter in The Player’s Tribune addressed to her three-year-old daughter, Skaï. She shares her daughter with her husband, Gaël Monfils. In the letter, Svitolina paid tribute to Monfils as he approaches his last French Open at Roland-Garros.
Monfils, age 39, had previously announced on Instagram that he would retire at the close of the 2026 tennis season. In her letter, Svitolina expressed admiration for Monfils: “Because your dad, in just one shot, one moment, he could achieve what I think few athletes ever achieve. He could make people feel something.”
Monfils faced Hugo Gaston, another French player, in his opening French Open match and lost after a competitive five-set game. On the clay court, he reflected on the moment with deep gratitude.
I would like to thank my wife because without her, I maybe wouldn’t be still here tonight. We’ve been together eight beautiful years. You have supported me, raised me up, loved me, and you gave me the greatest gift in our daughter. I love you,Monfils expressed, translated from French to English by Bastien Fachan.
Svitolina, who recently conquered the Italian Open, ending an eight-year title drought, looked at Monfils with tears of joy.
Later, Monfils disclosed to the press that his team had requested a wild card entry for Wimbledon. He remarked, “I feel like a lot of guys deserve it maybe more than me, so I’ll wait and see. But, hopefully, [I’ll play] Wimbledon.”
In January 2025, Monfils became the oldest player to clinch an ATP Tour title at Auckland, a notable achievement reported by ESPN. His career includes 13 tour titles, with his highest achievement at Roland-Garros being a semifinal finish against Roger Federer in 2008.