Elina Svitolina reveals Gael Monfils feels concerned whenever she is visiting Ukraine but adds that her French husband understands the situation and she is very grateful to have someone like that by her side.
Half a year after the Ukrainian tennis star tied the knot with the Frenchman in 2021 July, the war in Ukraine started. Shortly after her country found itself in a full-scale invasion, the 17-time WTA champion also learned that she was pregnant with her first child.
In late 2022, Svitolina and Monfils became parents for the first time and since then the former WTA world No. 3 has made a pretty successful post-pregnancy comeback. Since returning to action in 2023 April, the Ukrainian has been very outspoken in her support for Ukraine, even organizing charity events.
Also, the 30-year-old visited her homeland a couple of times, with the most recent visit happening during the offseason. During her last visit, she spent some time with Ukrainian fighters and was also introduced to a machine gun and a rocket launcher.
Elina Svitolina© Elina Svitolina/Instagram – Fair Use
Svitolina: Monfils is afraid for me but I also think about my family
“Gael gets very nervous before trips. Of course he is afraid for me, for the family. But I try to talk to him and explain the situation to him,” the 2023 Wimbledon semifinalist told Bild.
“I try to explain the safety rules to him. I also think about my family, but I feel a lot of pain for my country. I am one of the voices of Ukraine around the world. This is my mission.”
When visiting home, Svitolina travels alone, without Monfils or their daughter Skai. Addressing that, she said that it is always “very emotional” saying goodbye to her husband and daughter. But on the other hand, she also has family and friends in Ukraine and feels the need to visit them.
“I am very grateful to Gael for supporting me. I know it is very difficult. I am not sure that many husbands would understand this,” Svitolina noted.
Tennis World USA