Monfils and the Importance of Svitolina in His Career: "If I Hadn't Met Her, I Would Have Retired Already"

Andrés Tomás Rico | 31 Mar 2025 | 22.57

Monfils and the Importance of Svitolina in His Career: "If I Hadn't Met Her, I Would Have Retired Already." Photo: Getty Images

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Gael Monfils understands neither ages nor retirements. The 38-year-old Frenchman continues to enjoy playing tennis, and after more than 20 years of a tennis career, he is at a point in his life where his professional goals do not involve winning more titles or achieving a higher ranking (he is currently in 43rd position), but rather staying happy every time he steps onto a tennis court. And the main reason why the Frenchman continues on the tour is his wife, Elina Svitolina. This was confirmed in an interview on his Youtube channel with Gilles Simon.

Monfils made it clear a few months ago that his intentions on the tour are very different compared to the rest of the players: "My dream is to grow old, have many children, and be healthy. To have a family. Tennis is great, and I have dreams and goals. But my true dream is out there," he confessed during the last Australian Open.

And so, playing for fun and without any specific goals, he won the Adelaide ATP title at the beginning of 2025 and reached the fourth round of the Australian Open, defeating the world number four, Taylor Fritz, along the way. He showcased his game at the ‘Sunshine Double,’ but in Indian Wells, he fell to Grigor Dimitrov in the round of 32 and against Sebastian Korda in the Miami Open round of 16. Now he is preparing for the clay court season that will culminate in his beloved Roland Garros, and no one doubts that during this spring he will once again surprise us with his different, authentic, and unparalleled tennis.

Losing the joy of playing due to the COVID pandemic

But he did not have this outlook on life and tennis a few years ago. In fact, during the COVID pandemic in 2020, he had decided to retire, but then his wife, also a professional tennis player, Elina Svitolina, entered his life. With the moral support from the Ukrainian, Monfils decided that there is still a lot of tennis left in his racket.

"Honestly, if I hadn't met Elina, I would have retired, no doubt. I think I would have quit after COVID. At that time, I was still in the top 10, but it meant nothing to me. Empty stadiums... it was a different energy, and I just felt it was no longer for me," confessed the Frenchman, who always needs the audience's energy to give him an extra boost on the court.

"I started telling her that maybe it was time to quit. I couldn't return to my previous level, and it was deeply frustrating. She helped me get over it. Not right away, but when winter came, I started feeling that spark again. A bit of joy on the court, and for me, that is crucial. Then I had a good streak: I rose to number 14, won in Adelaide, reached the Australian Open quarterfinals. But then another injury came, to my foot: I was out for seven months. On top of that, Elina was pregnant, I had a serious family problem... and honestly, I thought: this is the end," Monfils stated regarding the injury he suffered in 2022.

But once again, there was Svitolina to lift him off the ground and dispel any thoughts of retirement: "Elina found the right words. She said to me, 'Look, I'm coming back after giving birth, you can too.' She gave me motivation. I told her, 'I need a clear goal,' and we set it together. She helped me a lot. And then I said, and everyone laughed: 'I want to qualify for the Olympics.' At that time, I was ranked somewhere around 400...".

"My wife literally saved me. She reignited that fire in me. You know, sometimes it burns brightly, sometimes it's just a flicker... and she brought it back to me. So yes, answering the question: she played a huge and decisive role in the fact that I continue to play tennis. So thank you, Elina," concluded Monfils, who, for now, has not set any retirement date. Thus, tennis fans will be able to continue enjoying his game, but they will have to thank Elina Svitolina for it.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Monfils y la importancia de Svitolina en su carrera: "Si no la hubiera conocido, ya me habría retirado"

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