Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina gave fans a wholesome moment at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells as they teamed up for a fun practice session ahead of the season’s first 1000-level tournament. Monfils and Svitolina are among the most active tennis couples on the tour and have a daughter named Skai Monfils.
And ahead of the tournament, the two indulged in a fun practice session, as shared by @tennischannel on Instagram on Sunday:
Gael Monfils has been in stirring form in 2025, beginning the year by clinching the ASB Classic title in Auckland and becoming the oldest men’s player in tennis history to win a trophy on the ATP Tour since 1977. The Frenchman then maintained a superb eight-match winning streak and stunned fourth-seed Taylor Fritz in the third round of the Australian Open. Aged 38, Monfils became the third-oldest player to beat a top-five-seeded opponent in a Grand Slam in 52 years.
He was last in action at the Dubai Tennis Championships, losing to Matteo Berrettini in the first round.
Meanwhile, Elina Svitolina also began the year well, reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open where she lost to to eventual champion Madison Keys.
However, the former World No. 3 has struggled for form since, facing early exits in her last three tournaments, but will hope to make a deep run at Indian Wells. And she could not have a better hitting partner than her husband Monfils.
The couple began dating in 2019 and tied the knot in 2021. They welcomed their daughter, Skai, in 2022, with Svitolina regularly posting adorable updates on social media.
Gael Monfils chooses family over Grand Slam ambitions: “My dream is to have an unbelievable family”
Gael Monfils won hearts aplenty when he gave a heartfelt response during a press conference at the 2025 Australian Open. A journalist asked the former US Open and French Open semifinalist if he dreamt of winning a Grand Slam, and the Frenchman’s response came straight from the heart.
“Win? No. To be honest with you, it’s not even a dream to win the tournament. My dream is to be old and with a lot of kids and healthy. That’s your dream I guess, for me to win a Slam. I’ll tell you my dream, my dream is to have an unbelievable family. Tennis is cool, you know. Of course, you want to have a goal and dream, whatever, but my dream is out there.”
Gael Monfils’ response received a heart-warming response from the tennis community. Ben Shelton, who beat Monfils in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, said:
“I hope to be able to create memories like that with my family watching on at that age. It’s really special and unheard of in any sport,” he said.
Paula Badosa also reacted to Monfils’ speech and said: “He really understood LIFE”
Monfils, currently ranked 42 in the world, will hope to make a splash at the BNP Paris Open in Indian Wells.
