Gael Monfils’ touching message to wife Elina Svitolina after Italian Open title
Gael Monfils has shared a heartwarming tribute to his wife Elina Svitolina following her success at the Italian Open.
Eight years after winning her second title in Rome, Svitolina completed her hat-trick at Foro Italico as she defeated three top-five players en route to lifting the trophy.
Seeded seventh, the former world No 3 beat world No 2 Elena Rybakina in three sets in the quarter-final and then also went the distance against Iga Swiatek in the semi-final to reach the final for the first time since she won back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018.
The Ukrainian – who finished runner-up to Jessica Pegula at the Dubai Tennis Championships in February – faced world No 3 Coco Gauff in the final and she defeated the American 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 6-2 to win her fifth WTA 1000 title.
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Husband Monfils took to Instagram to salute his wife, writing: “Eight years. Eight years to climb back to the top of a Masters 1000,” he started off. “What a season, what a week, what a player. But above all, what a woman. An incredible mom to Skaï, an exceptional athlete, a soul like no other.
“I’m so proud of you, my love. Of your strength, your calm, of everything you carry quietly day after day. You inspire me, every single day.
“Enjoy this, soak it all in. You deserve every second of it. I love you ❤️”
Svitolina and Monfils started dating in 2019 and they got married on 16 July 2021 before announcing in May 2022 that they were expecting their first child.
The Ukrainian gave birth to daughter Skaï in October that year and made her return to top-level tennis in April 2023 and not long after she reached the French Open quarter-final while she also made it to the semi-final at Wimbledon.
Having dropped out of the top 1000 while on maternity leave, Svitolina was back in the top 100 in May and the top 30 in July.
She continued her surge in 2024 and 2025 and finished last year at No 14 in the WTA Rankings before breaking back into the top 10 with her run to the semi-final at this year’s Australian Open.
Svitolina has climbed three places to No 7 in the latest rankings following her Italian Open title and will now be seeded seventh at the French Open.
When asked after her title win if someone told her when she was pregnant she would return to the top 10 and win big events again, she replied: “When I was coming back, for me was important just to give myself a good chance to play the highest level.
“I was never thinking about that I could come back. In a way it came later. I think it was by the stages. First I wanted to be back in top hundred because I was starting from zero, then it was top 30 to be seeded.
“Then from last year I started to think, okay, my level I think is there. I need to be more consistent, more strong physically to be more consistent, then I can have a chance to go to top 10 because I was playing already good level.
“Of course, you need to believe it to make it happen. Slowly, little by little, I was believing in it. Of course, very proud of the effort, very proud of also coming back from the surgery. I had a surgery two years ago, which was not easy. First one for me, too.
“Yeah, I had some ups and downs with little stops here and there. Generally I’m just very proud of the way that I’ve been coming back and just giving it my everything to perform at the highest level.”
