Tennis players Gaël Monfils and Elina Svitolina have been engaged in a real life love-match, having been romantically linked since 2019, their love life just as tumultuous as the tennis matches they both play in.
With both the French Monfils, 36, and Ukrainian Svitolina, 28, making their way to compete in the US Open – albeit separately in singles draws – here is their love story, from how they met to how they became a tennis power couple.
How did they meet?
The couple first interacted as many do nowadays, online. Though they had known of each other for a while, it wasn’t until Svitolina posted a picture of herself in Paris on Instagram that Monfils worked up the courage to shoot his shot, texting her while she was in his home country.
“We met each other and we could not split anymore. It was an amazing coincidence that both of us were in Paris in the same time because I live in London now and Gael, despite he is from Paris, lives in Geneva,” Svitolina said as per Tennis World USA.
Honeymoon phase
Both being top tennis players, their individual schedules were packed to the brim. But they still made time for each other, visiting Svitolina’s home country of Ukraine soon after playing in 2019’s Wimbledon tournament.
“We have a packed calendar so hanging out is a luxury which we can rarely afford. But when we manage to find a free day, we go to a romantic city and we spend some time alone together. We played in different cities and in between tournaments, we met each other in Paris for 24 hours walking by streets and eating nice food,” she shared.
The couple also opened their own joint Instagram account titled G.E.M.S Life – standing for Gaël Elina Monfils Svitolina.
Trouble in paradise
The honeymoon phase didn’t last forever though, with the pair “taking a break” from their relationship after two years of dating in a split that rivalled Kim and Kanye’s, according to a fellow player.
In a statement they both posted online, the pair said: “The decision was incredibly difficult, because we still have love for each other,” the statement said.
“But it’s just two best friends realising it’s time to take some space and help each other live the most joyous, fulfilled lives as possible.”
But just as shockingly, the pair got back together just months afterwards, even going a step further and getting engaged.
Monfils popped the question in April, posting a photo of the ring on Svitolina’s finger to social media.
“She said YES ♥️,” he wrote, tagging his fiancée and calling her “Madame Monfils.”
The new Madame Monfils reciprocated, posting a picture of the both of them from the engagement with the caption, “YES!!! To the beginning of our forever💍🥰 .”
Their forever
The two wed just three months after they got engaged, in July of 2021, with both of them rocking purple ensembles for their nuptials. Monfils wore a purple suit whereas Svitolina wore her “dream dress”, a custom white pantsuit designed by Virgil Abloh with a purple tulle train attached to her waist.
Though their marital status had changed, not much else did, Svitolina said at the time.
“Tennis-wise nothing really changed. We are still practising sometimes together. Sometimes we try not to talk too much about tennis,” she revealed as The Sun reported.
“For me it’s important to have someone who understands what I’m going through. I will have for sure some bad situations where I’m not feeling well off the court, you are struggling with motivation, which is normal for athletes. You are travelling so much. You’re away from home, away from your family.
“For me to have Gaël next to me it’s actually very lucky in our situation that we are both at the top of our sport so we are travelling pretty much to the same tournaments.
“That’s really lucky in a way that we found love for each other and we do the same thing. We play tennis. We have the same goals. We’re just helping each other in the way that we can help.”
Monfils reiterated the same sentiment about his beloved wife.
“She knows that I need to feel good most of the time to deliver. She knows me quite well and she always has a good word when something comes up maybe outside of tennis or wherever to bring me back on my goal,” he said.
“At the end of the day I mostly say to people, you know, tennis, it’s something but it’s not our life. Our life is, it’s way different,” he added.
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“We have so much more in common outside of tennis and that is the most important because I guess there’s so many people who share the tennis passion and I hope that’s not why she married me and that’s not why I married her. So it’s great, but it’s not the main thing.”
Welcome addition
After almost one year of marriage, the couple announced they were expecting their first born. Their baby girl, named Skai, was born in October 2022.
Basking in the glow of parenthood, the new mum and dad unfortunately had to leave their almost one-year-old behind at home as they went down to America to compete in this year’s US Open.
The first-time parents tried making it work with their baby at the earlier French Open, but found it was too disruptive for her schedule.
“Of course, we spend some time with her. But during the slam, it is very limited time because all the time you wake up, you go train, you have treatments, you have media, you have everything, like so many things. Then in between her naps is managing your day, your time,” commented Svitolina to Tennis Majors.
“In the end I don’t see her as much as I wish. So that’s why in the end we decided to leave her at home. We have a team who is taking care of her, as well, so she’s super safe at home – watching some matches of us playing here in States.”
For Monfils, the separation from his baby girl was unbearable. He told French media: “It’s too hard to be so far away from my daughter. This is an aspect of the job that changes things enormously. It’s a sacrifice I don’t want to make. Seven weeks without seeing my daughter is too difficult.”
He even spoke about retiring his 19-year-long career soon, hinting at it in August during the Washington Open.
“I feel Elina will play much longer than me,” he said, “It might be one of my last tournaments in the States. Maybe next year. We don’t know. But soon.
“But I may come back to support Elina with the baby. So you’ll see me around.”
US Open 2023
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One thing that brought a smile to the couple’s faces, however, was playing mixed doubles for the first time as a couple.
Both of them wall be competing in the singles draw at the American porting event, but they also competed in mixed doubles for Stars of the Open, a warm-up charity event for the tournament, raising money for a very special cause.
The married couple took on American duo Jennifer Brady and Christopher Eubanks, with all the players mic’d up in a fun event to raise money for Svitolina’s native Ukraine.
Though they lost 11-9, both were seen beaming after playing on the same team for the first time on the court, as well as off the court.