At Roland-Garros, we must notably count on Elina Svitolina in the women’s draw. Here’s everything you need to know about the tennis player.
Tennis champion Elina Svitolina is still in the running in this 2026 edition of the Roland-Garros tournament. But what do you know about the player and wife of Gaël Monfils?
Where is Elina Svitolina from?
Elina Svitolina was born on September 12, 1994, in Odessa, she is of Ukrainian origin. Asked at a press conference at Roland-Garros about how she separates or not the conflict affecting her country, attacked by Russia, the player responded with her guts: “No, it’s part of my life. And from the start of the war, it was part of my life, and it always will be. We can’t escape it. Of course, it’s difficult. It’s a subject that weighs (…) And when there are difficult nights, you still have to get up, go play and have the right state of mind… If you can do it. Unfortunately, this has been the life of Ukrainians for years..”
Elina Svitolina, who lives with her husband in Switzerland, added: “Personally, I don’t know what it’s like for the other players, but I couldn’t say: “whatever happens in Ukraine, I’m disconnected.” This is not possible. It’s my life, my family, my friends are there. I have so much stuff there! It’s part of me. I could never disconnect.”
Since 2018, Elina Svitolina and Gaël Monfils have formed an accomplice couple, both on the tennis courts and in life. In an interview given in August 2019 to the site Tennisworldfrthe Ukrainian player returned to their meeting. “I have known Gaël for some time now because we constantly play in the same tournaments“, she said.
At the time, Elina Svitolina was involved in another romantic relationship and their interactions remained limited. But everything changed after an evening with friends and a photo posted on Instagram. “We just couldn’t be apart anymore“, she confided.
Since then, their story has strengthened through the trials. In 2022, the two players put their careers on hold: Gaël Monfils, injured in his right heel, and Elina Svitolina, pregnant with their daughter Skaï, born in October. This downtime allowed them to support each other. “Gaël was a very important source of motivation for me“, the tennis player told France Télévisions. Together, they resumed training gradually. “We slowly came back together and supported each other“, she added.
When did Elina Svitolina get married?
In 2019, Elina Svitolina and Gaël Monfils formalized their relationship. However, the couple went through a zone of turbulence at the beginning of 2021, marked by a brief breakup. Gaël Monfils then shared a touching message on social networks, explaining that, despite the love still present, they needed to distance themselves to flourish each on their own. A few months later, they meet again… never to leave each other again.
In July 2021, in Nyon (in Switzerland), the two lovers said “yes” to each other surrounded by their loved ones. An unforgettable moment, as Elina recounted in an interview Tennisworldfr : “We had an amazing wedding, where all our families were together.” A rare occurrence for the player, whose parents live in Ukraine, while Gaël’s are spread between France, Guadeloupe and Martinique.
“That day it was really special to see everyone in the same place“, she remembered. The couple experienced this day as a true moment of grace. “We were super happy with how the event went. It was very special for both of us“, confided the tennis player who measures 1m74.
Is Elina Svitolina a mother?
Elina Svitolina is the mother of a little girl named Skaï, born in October 2022. Since the birth of her daughter, the sportswoman has discovered a new inner strength. “When you come home and see this little baby you realize you can’t be sad, you have to do a million things“, she confided during a press conference after a match.
But this new role as mother does not prevent her from being demanding of herself on the court. “In a way it’s good, but it’s also true that I have to sit down and analyze things after a loss, that I have to talk to my coach, have this uncomfortable conversation about what I should improve and do“, she explained.
How much does Elina Svitolina earn?
Elina Svitolina started her professional tennis career in 2010. Since then, she has accumulated $29.4 million in tournament winnings. A tidy sum! To date, the player occupies 7th place in the world in the WTA rankings.
