Svitolina's ex-husband spoke about his dream for their daughter Sky's future

Gaël Monfils, the former world No. 6 tennis player, made an emotional speech to his daughter Sky during a ceremony held in his honor at the Paris Masters. The girl was born to the athlete and Ukraine’s top-ranked tennis player, Elina Svitolina.

Monfils expressed his hope that his daughter would one day be able to compete in a tennis tournament in Paris.

Gaël Monfils’ Remarks

“My little girl, Sky, wanted me to make sure I talked about her. She told me, ‘You don’t talk about me enough, Dad.’ And she’s only four years old! So, Sky, if you’re watching, here I am—I’m talking about you. Maybe you’ll see this later.

She said she wants to be a champion. I asked her, ‘Sky, what do you want to be a champion at?’ She said, ‘I want to be a champion at everything.’ I told her, “You’ll have to choose, though.” And the first thing she said was, “I’d like to be a champion at talking.” And then, very quickly, she added, “I’d really like to be a tennis champion.”

I told her, “Well, I’m sure you’ll have what it takes.” That’s why I’d like to dedicate this final tournament—your dad’s last round—to you, Sky. It was in Paris on November 3, 2026.Interestingly, today marks exactly eight years since I started dating your mom—it’s a very symbolic date for our family. So, Sky, your dad was a tennis player; he loved tennis. I grew up in Paris; I had wonderful fans, and I sincerely hope that one day you’ll be able to play here in Paris,” Monfils said during the ceremony.

Elina Svitolina and Gaël Monfils’ Divorce: What We Know

According to reporters, in late September, when Elina Svitolina left for tournaments in China, she told Monfils over the phone about her decision to end their relationship. It is reported that after this conversation, the Frenchman lost the motivation to continue his professional career, and subsequently officially notified the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) of his retirement and was removed from the anti-doping testing system for active athletes.

The 2026 season marked the end of the 40-year-old athlete’s career. In October, Monfils officially received the status of a retired player. This information was confirmed by the ITIA.

The Frenchman’s previous schedule also attests to the unexpected nature of this decision. He had planned to play his farewell matches at the tournament in Lyon and the Paris Masters, but those appearances will now not take place.

According to L’Équipe, the athlete decided to cancel the scheduled tournaments to avoid drawing unnecessary attention to his personal life following his breakup with the Ukrainian tennis player.

Svitolina and Monfils are co-parenting their daughter following their breakup.

Tennis player Monfils linked the end of his career to the breakup — Interia Sport.

Tennis player Monfils condemned the criticism of Svitolina following their breakup — Sky Sports.