{"id":689722,"date":"2026-05-24T02:01:13","date_gmt":"2026-05-24T02:01:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/689722\/"},"modified":"2026-05-24T02:01:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-24T02:01:13","slug":"svitolina-writes-eloquently-on-her-husband-the-magician-tennis-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/689722\/","title":{"rendered":"Svitolina Writes Eloquently on Her Husband the Magician \u2013 Tennis Now"},"content":{"rendered":"

Roland-Garros starts Sunday. But the qualifying week, which also featured several special appearances by Gael Monfils ahead of his final French Open, was an absolute dream.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"tennis<\/a>tennis express pro player gear<\/p>\n

On Thursday, fans filed into Court Phillipe-Chatrier for Gael & Friends, an exhibition centered around the man, the myth, the legend himself.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That was really special, but what happened on the internet on Thursday was even more special: Elina Svitolina published a letter to her daughter Skai in the Player\u2019s Tribune that doubles as a tribute to Lamonf.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Ukranian opened her heart and poured out some beautiful prose that highlighted the beauty of Monfils \u2013 the athlete and the personality. She pointed out that with Gael, you got more than tennis. You got a show. You got heart, and you got someone who never failed to stay true to what he was.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Elina Svitolina honors her husband, Ga\u00ebl Monfils, in a letter to their daughter: \u201cYou will understand why your dad means so much to so many people around the world. You will understand why his career has been such an amazing one\u2026.\u2026 and why his final Roland Garros is such a\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/NzolMz3sDv<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 The Players\u2019 Tribune (@PlayersTribune) May 23, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how Svitolina started the piece:\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cA few days from now, something very special is going to happen, right here in Paris. You\u2019re only three years old, so a little too young still to know about it \ud83d\ude42 But I am writing you this letter, with the hope that one day you will read your mom\u2019s thoughts and then you will understand. You will understand why your dad means so much to so many people around the world. You will understand why his career has been such an amazing one\u2026.\u2026 and why his final Roland Garros is such a beautiful moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYou will understand why sometimes, tennis, it\u2019s about more than just tennis.\u201d<\/p>\n

Svitolina went on to eloquently explain the intoxicating effect that Monfils\u2019 handiwork on a tennis court could produce. Part athlete, part acrobat, part speed demon, he always had the power to bring an audience to life. He elevated tennis in a way that it never had been elevated before. He made it into dance, into theater, into a celebration.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll let Svitolina take us out:\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first thing you should know, I think, it\u2019s that Ga\u00ebl Monfils was one of the greatest shot-makers anyone has ever seen. There are others who were more consistent, or who made fewer mistakes.\u2026. but it\u2019s interesting. Because when you say why these players are great, maybe you are needing to give a long explanation. Or you are needing to show many statistics, or a whole match, or a whole tournament. But with your dad? It\u2019s not like this. With your dad, it\u2019s so simple. You can show someone a single point of his, even a single shot \u2026 and now they will \u201cget it.\u201d Because your dad, in just one shot, one moment, he could achieve what I think few athletes ever achieve. He could make people feel something. Almost like at a concert and there\u2019s a perfect song, or at the movies and there\u2019s a perfect line, and you have this feeling like, Oh my god. WOW. It takes your breath away. I wouldn\u2019t say that sports are usually like this.\u2026. they are competition, you know? But if you watch Ga\u00ebl play, there are moments where you connect to something deeper than sports. Where you feel like, OK, tennis\u2026\u2026 this is not just one player trying to grind another player to dust. When it\u2019s in the very best moments??? It\u2019s also magic.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd your dad was the best magician.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Monfils will open his last Roland-Garros against fellow Frenchman Hugo Gaston. If he wins he\u2019ll break the record for most French Open men\u2019s singles wins by a French player. You won\u2019t want to miss this one.\u00a0<\/p>\n