WIMBLEDON STAR ELINA SVITOLINA EXPLAINS THE REALITY OF GAEL MONFILS MARRIAGE AND MOTHERHOOD

Elina Svitolina had hoped to watch her husband play after completing her own match at Wimbledon, but the schedule was not kind.

The two-time Wimbledon semi-finalist came through a hard-fought battle with Poland’s Magda Linette on Court 17 in two hours and 40 minutes on Wednesday. It had looked like the scheduling of her first-round match would allow her to then head over to Court Two to watch Gael Monfils play Stan Wawinka in a match sure to pull a big crowd.

But the weather – and her opponent – had other ideas. Two hours of drizzle meant Svitolina didn’t get going until lunchtime and by the time she had completed a 7-5 6-7 6-3 victory, Monfils was not even close to getting onto the court.

Svitolina has been married to Monfils since July 2021 and they share a daughter, Skai, who was born in October 2022. But as high-profile professional tennis players, they put their jobs before each other while playing at Grand Slams.

“Today is quite tricky because I have to play my second round tomorrow,” Svitolina said post-match. “I probably will not go [to watch Gael]. I have to take care of my recovery. It was quite a long match, quite intense as well.

“We try to watch each other's matches. I did in the first round. Today he's getting ready for his second round as well. So when we get a chance and when we know that it's not like clashing with each other's preparation or recovery, we try to do our best. Of course, it's nice to see each other cheering.

“Like today, for example, I haven't seen him yet. He was sleeping when I left the hotel around 7.15am. I haven't seen him today. Probably I'm going to eat and go back to the hotel. I don't know if he is going to play today. But yeah, it goes like this.

“But, I mean, we are working here. We are at Wimbledon, which is extremely special for both of us. We do everything to get ready to play our best and just perform as well as we can, and then enjoy our time back home with our daughter and together as a family.”

She added: “We're here to work. We're here in full focus, both of us. Of course, we want the best for each other and the best preparation possible. We practise and we do everything for these kinds of tournaments. That's why I think it's important to prioritise tennis at this moment.”

Skai has been left at home so Svitolina and Monfils can be fully focused on performing. Monfils told the Tennis Channel that Skai has begun speaking in three languages due to growing up in a multilingual household with a Ukrainian mother and French father.

Svitolina believes that tennis has come a long way since the beginning of her career and the support of other mothers on tour, like Angelique Kerber, Caroline Wozniacki and Naomi Osaka, has helped her return to tennis after giving birth.

“She’s not here with us. We just think about what’s the best for us and her. We try to take her on longer trips – Australia, the US, for a longer period of time,” she told Mirror Sport . “But when we are off for one or two tournaments, it’s very rare for us to take her, especially in Europe where it’s easy to go back.

“We try to prioritise her health, her routines – at home, she’s happy. Of course, we miss her and she misses us but it’s important that kids have their entertainment and the things they do on a daily basis.

“I feel like it’s easier [than before] because obviously the prize money is much higher, so you can afford to take your coach, physio and loved ones with you. This is one of the things that changed. And also the travel is much easier than before – more direct flights and possibilities with hotels, organisations are improving every year at every tournament. Everything has improved a lot and I feel like that’s why there are more people taking their kids.”

2024-07-03T17:44:09Z dg43tfdfdgfd