Gael Monfils recently revealed that his wife and fellow tennis player, Elina Svitolina, is very motivated to return to the sport. The couple welcomed their first child, a baby girl named SkaĆÆ, last October. Svitolina, who is 28 years old, has not played in any tournaments since last year’s Miami Open. However, according to Monfils, she is eager to get back into shape and resume playing as soon as possible.
Despite the challenges of being a new parent, Svitolina has been making progress in her tennis comeback. Monfils shared that his wife had some concerns about returning to tennis after such a long break, but she has been practicing and is now starting to move around more comfortably on the court. Monfils also hinted that Svitolina has some specific goals in mind and may soon announce when she plans to return to the game.
Svitolina’s break from tennis last year was initially related to her emotional distress over the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Despite her personal struggles, she competed in several tournaments in early 2022, including Monterrey, Indian Wells, and Miami. However, after losing her opening matches in Indian Wells and Miami, Svitolina decided to take an indefinite break from tennis.
In May 2022, Svitolina announced that she and Monfils were expecting a child, and in October 2022, their daughter was born. Monfils has expressed his joy and happiness at being a new parent, stating that it has been an incredible experience.
Monfils, on the other hand, has already kicked off his 2023 season at the Indian Wells tournament. It remains to be seen when Svitolina will return to professional tennis and resume her successful career.