"I think I would’ve called it quits after COVID": Gael Monfils credits wife Elina Svitolina for continue playing tennis

French veteran tennis star Gael Monfils has stated that he would have retired a long time back if he had not met his wife Elina Svitolina. Both are regarded as one of the most power couples in the world of tennis.

Monfils started the year brightly compared to the previous few years when he struggled to win a match. In four competitions this season, the 38-year-old has already played in the third round or beyond on three occasions. His most recent outing was at the Miami Open, where his journey ended after losing in the fourth round to America’s Sebastian Korda with a score of 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

Monfils, while speaking on his YouTube channel, stated that he would have retired if he had not met his wife. The Paris-born star stated that his wife motivated him to continue playing at a time when he wanted to retire from the sport.

“If I hadn’t met Elina, I would’ve retired already… no doubt,” he said. “I think I would’ve called it quits after COVID. At that time, I was still in top 10, but it meant nothing to me. Empty stadiums… it was a different energy. I just felt it wasn’t for me anymore. I started to tell Elina that maybe it was time to stop. I couldn’t get back to my previous level, and it was deeply frustrating. She helped me get through it. Not right away, but when winter came, I started feeling that spark again. A bit of joy on court… for me, this is crucial. Then I had a good run, got my ranking back up to #14, won Adelaide, reached the Australian Open quarterfinals. But then came another injury, my foot… I was out for seven months. On top of that, Elina was pregnant, I had a serious family issue… and honestly, I thought, ‘This is the end.’ But Elina... she found the right words. She said to me, ‘Look, I’m coming back after giving birth… so you can do it too.' She gave me motivation. I told her, ‘I need a clear goal,’ and we set one together. She helped me immensely. And then I said, and everyone laughed, ‘I want to qualify for the Olympics.' At that point, I was ranked somewhere around 400 in the world. My wife literally saved me. She reignited that fire in me. You know, sometimes it’s burning bright, sometimes it’s barely a flame. She brought it back. So yes, to answer the question… she played a huge, decisive role in the fact that I’m still playing tennis. Thank you, Elina."