Gael Monfils remains inspired by his wife Elina Svitolina as the Frenchman returns to court in Atlanta this week.
Monfils has been resting at home over the last few weeks alongside his daughter, Skai, as they were watching his wife Elina Svitolina storm her way to the Wimbledon semi-finals.
The Ukrainian defeated four former Grand Slam semi-finals including world number one Iga Swiatek as she continues to have a successful comeback to the tour.
Eventually Svitolina would lose to eventual champion Marketa Vondrousova as she ran out of energy in the last four.
However Monfils was full of praise for Svitolina’s run as he hopes that will inspire his own tennis, “Just proud of my wife, to be honest,” Monfils was quoted by tennishead as saying.
“How much work she has put in to be at that level. How much discipline she had. I was amazed by her strength, mentally, in some matches, to turn them around and then come back for her next match – I was proud and inspired. This is why I feel like a champion right now.”
Now Monfils will hope that he will be motivated to create a similar run as he makes his return to the ATP tour.
The Frenchman hasn’t played since beating Sebastian Baez in five sets at Roland Garros and now returns in Atlanta this week.
Although it will be tough without Svitolina, Monfils is ready to bring his best tennis over the next few weeks, “You are at home, but it’s a privilege to spend quality time as well, at home with your child,” Monfils reflected.
“It can never be too much. It’s going to be a few weeks without her and it’s gonna be tough, but I feel like we will have more time in a few weeks. It has been an amazing month for me, watching my wife do fantastic, and I have had quality time with my daughter as well, so you know I’m just full of energy.”
A tough match awaits Monfils in his opening round as he takes on Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis.
