NEED TO KNOW
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Tennis stars Gaël Monfils and Elina Svitolina wed in July 2021
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The couple welcomed their daughter, Skaï, the following year
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In 2026, they became one of the few married teams to hold singles titles in the same tournament in consecutive years
Gaël Monfils and Elina Svitolina are a power couple on and off the tennis court.
Before they took the courts by storm together, Monfils, who hails from France, and Svitolina, who is from Ukraine, officially met in 2018 in Paris. They were briefly engaged before marrying in July 2021.
The following year, Monfils and Svitolina welcomed their daughter Skaï, and the new mom returned to tennis shortly after.
In 2026, they became one of the few married couples to hold singles titles in the same tournament in consecutive years after Svitolina captured the 2026 ASB Classic women’s singles title in Auckland, New Zealand — matching Monfils’ 2025 Auckland men’s singles crown.
“Before the tournament, he told me it would be amazing if we both won the same tournament,” she told the WTA in January 2026. “He was not sure if this ever happened before. Of course, I had it always in the back of my mind. It really motivated me but also [created] a little bit of pressure.”
The two are currently supporting each other at the 2026 US Open, where they reached the semifinals of the mixed doubles tournament. This marks Monfils’ last US Open — having previously announced that he’ll be retiring at the end of the year — and on Sept. 1, he won his first-round match on his 40th birthday.
From custom wedding looks by late fashion designer Virgil Abloh to competing at the 2024 Paris Olympics, here’s everything to know about Gaël Monfils and Elina Svitolina’s relationship.
They met in Paris
Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina.
Credit: Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina/Instagram
While the pair had been crossing paths for years as professional tennis players, they finally met when Monfils reached out to Svitolina, inviting her to join him and his friends for drinks after she won the 2018 WTA Finals in Singapore.
“I had known Gaël for quite some time, as we constantly participated in the same tournaments. But there was very little communication: he knew that I was in a long relationship,” Svitolina said in a 2019 interview with JetSetterua. “At the end of 2018, after winning the final tournament [in Singapore], I went to celebrate with my Paris friends. I posted a photo on Instagram, and Gael wrote to me. We met and could no longer part.”
Monfils and Svitolina had a romantic engagement in the mountains
Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina.
Credit: Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina/Instagram
After a few years of dating, Monfils and Svitolina announced their engagement on Instagram on April 3, 2021.
In the post, the couple showed off Svitolina’s three-stone emerald-cut engagement ring against the romantic backdrop of snow-covered mountains.
They married in July 2021
Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina attends the Crown IMG Tennis Party on January 19, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia.
Credit: James D. Morgan/Getty
On July 16, 2021, Monfils and Svitolina officially tied the knot.
For the ceremony, the pair both wore custom Off-White looks by the late Abloh and his team. Svitolina’s “DREAM DRESS,” as she described on Instagram, was untraditional — a white pantsuit with a sheer, cascading purple skirt around the waist.
Monfils and Svitolina share a daughter
Elina Svitolina and Skai Monfils.
Credit: Elina Svitolina/Instagram
On Oct. 15, 2022, Monfils and Svitolina announced the birth of their first child, a daughter named Skaï.
“I had the most amazing night of my life, which ended with the most beautiful gift around 6:00Am. Elina was strong and brave💪🏾🙏🏾I can’t t thx enough, my wife and God, for this special moment 🙏🏾Welcome to the world, my little princess SKAÏ ❤️,” Monfils wrote on Instagram.
The couple share photos of their daughter from time to time but keeps her face hidden. In July 2025, Monfils celebrated his fourth wedding anniversary with Svitolina by posting a sweet photo of his family of three cuddled up on the couch.
“Four years ago, we got married,” he captioned the Instagram post. “Since that day, we’ve been building a life full of love, laughter, and beautiful memories ✨ Today, I look at this photo… and I realize I have everything ☺️🙏🏾 Seeing you both is my greatest victory. Thank you for being there, thank you for being you. I love you both more than anything. ❤️”
Monfils thinks Svitolina’s mental and physical strength is “amazing”
Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina with their daughter Skai.
Credit: Elina Svitolina/Instagram
Following the birth of Skaï, Monfils praised his wife for her return to her tennis career. At a press conference in 2024, the French athlete said, “She’s a great mother first. That’s first. People want to put tennis first but I think she’s a great mother first. This is the most important for me as her husband because of course we are a tennis couple but life is beyond our sport.”
He continued, “She’s an excellent and great mother and as you said she managed it well on the court. I’m surprised how well she came back, how strong she is mentally and physically. It’s just amazing.”
Monfils and Svitolina both competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics
Elina Svitolina; Gael Monfils.
Credit: Matthew Stockman/Getty ; Matthew Stockman/Getty
Monfils and Svitolina both competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics, taking things back to where it all started for the couple.
Representing her home country, Svitolina wrote on Facebook, “140 athletes during the war represent our country at the Olympics in Paris. In the history of global sport we have never seen such examples, but it once again proves that Ukrainians are a nation of brave and resilient people.”
After losing to Italian player Lorenzo Musetti, Monfils wrote: “Thank you Paris for your incredible support last night to Roland Garros 🙏🏾. Playing night sessions is always an amazing experience (although it’s not always easy haha 😂).”
But despite the stress of the competition, the pair were able to stay lighthearted, sharing a video on Instagram of Svitolina attempting to speak French.
Monfils’ dream is to have an “unbelievable family”
Gaël Monfils and Elina Svitolina in 2023
Credit: Pascal Le Segretain/SC Pool – Corbis/Corbis via Getty
In January 2025, fans thought Monfils had a shot at the Australian Open title after going on a three-win streak. Sadly, a back injury forced him to retire from his fourth-round match against American Ben Shelton.
Before facing Shelton, Monfils told reporters that his dreams have little to do with winning tennis tournaments.
“My dream is to be old with a lot of kids and healthy. My dream is to have an unbelievable family,” he said during a press conference. “Tennis is cool but my dream is out there.”
In October 2025, Monfils announced on Instagram that the 2026 tennis season would be his last. Monfils expressed his gratitude for being able to turn his passion into a profession and for all those who have remained by his side — including Svitolina, whom he described as his “love, inspiration, and strength,” and their daughter.
Read the original article on People