Elina Svitolina Cries After Husband Gaël Monfils’ Last Roland-Garros Match

Last week, Elina Svitolina wrote an open letter in The Player’s Tribune to her three-year-old daughter, Skaï, whom she shares with her husband, Gaël Monfils. In it, Svitolina beautifully honored Monfils ahead of his final French Open at Roland-Garros.

Monfils, 39, announced on Instagram last October that he plans to retire at the end of the 2026 tennis season.

“Because your dad, in just one shot, one moment, he could achieve what I think few athletes ever achieve,” Svitolina wrote. “He could make people feel something.”

Monfils lost his opening French Open match to fellow Frenchman Hugo Gaston in five sets, and on the famed clay court afterward, he made Svitolina feel something.

“‘I would like to thank my wife because without her, I maybe wouldn’t be still here tonight,” Monfils said, translated from French to English by Bastien Fachan. “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.”

Svitolina, who recently won the Italian Open to end an eight-year drought, smiled at him with tears in her eyes.

Later, Monfils told the press that his team had asked for a wild card at Wimbledon, but he said, “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 win an ATP Tour title at Auckland (via ESPN). He has won 13 tour titles overall, and his best finish at Roland-Garros came when he fell to Roger Federer in the 2008 semifinal.