Gael Monfils shares loving reaction as wife Elina Svitolina turns ‘mama bear’ in special moment with daughter Skai

September 8, 2025

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Tennis power couple Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina welcomed their first child, a daughter named Skaï, in October 2022. The couple has often shared glimpses of the time they spend with their daughter.

On Sunday, Svitolina took to Instagram to share a touching moment of motherhood. She posted a photo of herself embracing their young daughter on a park bench. The mother-daughter pair can be seen enjoying a view of the lake near their surroundings. She captioned the photo ‘mama’ with a bear emoji and a smiling face with hearts emoji.

“Mama 🐻🥰” Svitolina wrote in the caption.

Under the comments section, Monfils dropped his heartfelt reaction. He posted a couple of heart emojis to make his feelings known about the adorable moment:

"❤️❤️"

The above post comes days after the couple came up short at the 2025 US Open. Monfils was eliminated in the first round after a grueling five-set battle against Roman Safiullin. Meanwhile, Svitolina was also knocked out in the first round, marking her earliest Grand Slam exit in 11 years at the US Open. The 12th seed was upset by World No. 97 Anna Bondar, 2-6, 4-6.

Gael Monfils admires Elina Svitolina as a mother and athlete

Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina are a power couple in tennis. Their love story began after Monfils reached out to Svitolina, who won the 2018 WTA Finals. After dating for three years, Monfils proposed in April 2021, and by July, the couple got married in Geneva.

During a press conference last year, Gael Monfils hailed Svitolina as a tough woman and mother after returning strongly on the tour months after giving birth to their daughter, Skai.

“She’s a great mother first," he said. "That’s first. People want to put tennis first but I think she’s a great mother first. This is the most important for me as her husband because of course we are a tennis couple but life is beyond our sport."

“She’s an excellent and great mother and as you said she managed it well on the court. I’m surprised how well she came back, how strong she is mentally and physically. It’s just amazing,” he added.

After Elina Svitolina gave birth to Skai on Oct. 15, 2022, Gael Monfils' heart went out for his lady, sharing his admiration. In the Instagram post celebrating the birth, he wrote:

“I had the most amazing night of my life, which ended with the most beautiful gift around 6:00Am. Elina was strong and brave💪🏾🙏🏾I can't t thx enough, my wife and God, for this special moment 🙏🏾Welcome to the world, my little princess SKAÏ ❤️."

Now that the 2025 US Open is behind them, the duo has an ample amount of time to spend with Skai before they lace up for the next tournament.

About the author

Krutik Jain is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. It was in 2018 when the baseball bug bit Krutik, and already a cricket fan, he credits baseball's rules and Clayton Kershaw's pitching to have hooked him to the game.

A Kershaw and Mookie Betts fan, Krutik rates his favorite team LA Dodgers triumphing over Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 World Series as his best baseball moment so far. His answer to the perennial "one player from the past you could meet" question is Jackie Robinson. Despite never having seen him play, Robinson's impact, legacy and trail-blazing journey have left an indelible impact on Krutik.

A rigorous fact-checker, Krutik likes reporting on the technical aspects of the game as well as off-field elements. When not watching baseball, Krutik is busy playing cricket, staying up to date with the happenings around the world and hiking.

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