By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_now | Wednesday, April 2, 2025
Photo Credit: Elina Svitolina Instagram
Elina Svitolina is more than Gael monfils’ Life partner.
Svitolina is the protector of her husband’s life.
FIGHTER FIGHTER: Eala shakes the keys in Miami
In a new episode of his conversation show posted on his YouTube channel, Monfils were asked by former Davis Cup team Gilles Simon, “Would you still be a professional tennis player if you hadn’t met Elina Svitolina?”
The former world No.6 Monfils confessed that he considered to leave the sport during the Covid-19 era while he became desperate by playing in front of the empty stadiums.
Monfils said his wife saved his career by encouraging him to focus on very positive in his life and continue to play.
“I don’t think so. I think I would have stopped,” Monfils said in his YouTube conversation with Simon. “She helped me a lot when I got out of Covid because post-Kovid, I was still Top 10, but I wasn’t interested, empty stadium and felt it wasn’t going well.
“I was really starting to tell her that I was thinking of giving up. And I couldn’t get back in shape, I had this disappointment.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Mam5xxiuy
In October 2022, Svitolina gave birth to the couple’s daughter with the name Maniac.
During his wife’s pregnancy, Monfils said the prospect of being a young father, struggling to stay healthy between chronic knee and leg injuries and the detachment he felt from sports and his fans during Covid all plotted to make him call him rest.
These days, 38-year-old My son is designing the revival of the career.
The Frenchman fought Dwarf 7-5 5-7 7-6 (1) to become the oldest man who has ever reached the 16th round in Miami last week.
No need for words@Gel_monfils #Miamiopen pic.twitter.com/xwpeoacolk
– Tenis TV (@tennistv) March 24, 2025
Miami Run Magical came a few months after Monfils began his season in Auckland, becoming the oldest man who ever won an ATP title.
None of them would be possible without Svitolina who “saved me,” Montfils said, reigning his passion for the game.
“My wife saved me, she helped me find this little flame,” Montfils said. “(Pa) really Elina, I wouldn’t be a tennis player if I hadn’t met her, I went up to 14th in the world, I won Adelaide, I did a quarter -final in Australian, and I damaged my leg again and didn’t play for seven months.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le8kqavf5rk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJJPQA2ara
On the day Monfils trusted his pregnant wife, “it’s over” she replied with the right words that changed his mind and life.
“And then I said Elina,” It’s over. “In addition, it is pregnant,” Montfils said. “And I’ve had a big personal problem in my family. I’m injured, I welcome my daughter and know it’s over. That’s suggested I’m stopping with an injury but it’s over.
“And then, Elina, she finds the words … I found a goal where no one gave a curse for me, that of the qualification for the Olympic Games, I was 400th …
“My wife saved me, she helped me find this little flame. She was a large part of the fact that I still play tennis, so thank you Elina!”
