"Won't say it was easy"- Gael Monfils opens up about raising his and wife Elina Svitolina's daughter Skai; says he wasn't "terrified" but "curious"
Gael Monfils recently shed light on how his approach to life and career changed after he and wife Elina Svitolina welcomed their first daughter Skai. The French tennis player also touched on his initial concerns and how he eased into fatherhood.
Monfils married Ukrainian player Svitolina in 2021 after two years together. The tennis power couple welcomed their first child, daughter Skai, in October 2022. Earlier this month, they celebrated the toddler’s second birthday, sharing a sweet family picture where Skai could be seen adoring her birthday balloons.
Gael Monfils was recently in Frankfurt, Germany, for the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) exhibition event, where he spoke about his couple of years as a father.
"It’s the best thing in the world. I always say this is the reward in a way," Gael Monfils told Tennis Channel DE.
"And we're just privileged to play our sport. You know, being with the family, it just brings us back to reality," he added.
The former World No. 6 called being Skai’s father a “big blessing,” while expressing his eagerness to be a “good dad” and help her navigate life.
"The best duty that I have is to be a good dad to my daughter, try to help her to discover life and raise her the best I can. And so this is just a big blessing," Gael Monfils said.
Monfils noted that while he initially found himself unprepared, he was “curious” about what the future entailed as a parent.
"I won't say it was easy as well because no one is really prepared before to have your own," he said.
"So I will say I was curious. Let's say I'm not terrified, but curious to see how it would be. And to be honest, kids are changing every day, I'm always curious to see what's the next chapter with her," the 38-year-old added.
Gael Monfils on his and wife Elina Svitolina's daughter Skai: "She is my priority number one"
During the aforementioned conversation, Gael Monfils highlighted his shifting priorities and how becoming a father impacted his attitude toward tennis and life as a sportsperson.
"She's my priority number one. So it changed everything, changed your view, but also yourself, because being a sports athlete, you need to be super selfish and, and now you can’t be anymore. She's the absolutely priority," he said about his and Elina Svitolina's new approach.
With both Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils juggling their hectic tennis schedules and parenting lives, the former had previously revealed that their parents take charge of their baby daughter when they travel. This season, though, Skai has accompanied the couple when possible.
About his two-year-old's indifference to his on-court results and how it impacts him, Monfils said:
"When I go back home or I call my daughter, she doesn’t even really know if I win, if I lose, it’s all the same for her. And that brings you straight away back to the reality, which is important."
Monfils is presently in Vienna for the ATP 500 Erste Bank Open. He has advanced to the second round, where he faces Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti. Elina Svitolina, meanwhile, called time on her season after the US Open due to a prolonged foot injury. She underwent surgery days later.