Elina Svitolina couldn’t hide her joy as she watched husband Gaël Monfils pull off one of the most thrilling comebacks of the tournament so far at Wimbledon.
From the players’ box, the Ukrainian tennis star was all smiles, bursting into applause as Monfils defied the odds and rallied from the brink to defeat fellow Frenchman Ugo Humbert in an epic five-setter.
Elina Svitolina Cheers From the Stands as Gaël Monfils Stages Dramatic Rally
Monfils, playing in his 14th Wimbledon main draw, faced a stiff challenge against 18th-seeded Humbert. The 38-year-old turned back the clock on Tuesday to produce a vintage performance that saw him claw his way back from two sets to one down. Monfils emerged victorious after nearly four hours of battle with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (5), 7-5, 6-2 win, leveling his head-to-head against Humbert at 3-3.
Svitolina, fresh off a 6-3, 6-1 win over Hungary’s Anna Bondár in her opening round, was seen clapping ecstatically and smiling as Monfils sealed the match on Court 12.
Passion.
Gael Monfils defeats Ugo Humbert 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (5), 7-5, 6-2 to advance into R2 at #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/3lLNVH14fT
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 1, 2025
The two-time Wimbledon semifinalist, currently seeded 14th, will take on Belarusian qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the second round. This will mark their fourth encounter on the WTA Tour, with Sasnovich holding a narrow 2-1 lead in their head-to-head.
Their most recent clash came in the opening round of the 2023 Madrid Open, where the Belarusian claimed a 6-4, 7-5 victory. The winner of this match will take on either the 24th seed, Elise Mertens, or Ann Li in the third round.
Monfils, meanwhile, will take on lucky loser Márton Fucsovics in the second round. This will be their fifth meeting on the ATP Tour, with the Frenchman holding a 3-1 head-to-head record against the Hungarian. Fucsovics recorded his only win in the 2024 Estoril Open Round of 16, winning 1-6, 6-1, 7-5. The winner of this match will take on either the 10th seed Ben Shelton or Rinky Hijikata in the third round.
Monfils Opens Up About How Svitolina Helped Him Avoid Early Retirement
Monfils credited his wife, Svitolina, for playing a vital role in keeping his tennis career alive. The couple, married since 2021, often support each other during key matches and share family moments with their daughter Skaï on social media.
In a YouTube chat with longtime friend Gilles Simon, Monfils revealed that Svitolina helped him overcome a difficult phase during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he had considered retiring from the sport.
“If I hadn’t met Elina, I would’ve retired already… no doubt. I think I would’ve called it quits after COVID. At that time, I was still in the top 10, but it meant nothing to me. Empty stadiums… it was a different energy. I just felt it wasn’t for me anymore,” he said. (translated from French)
“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,’ we set one together. She helped me immensely,” he added.
