Elina Svitolina continues her impressive run at the 2026 BNP Paribas Open, reaching the quarterfinal after Kateřina Siniaková was forced to retire with a right hip injury while trailing 6-1, 1-1 in the second set. Off the court, Svitolina has opened up about how she stays connected with her daughter while traveling and her deep admiration and support for her husband, Gaël Monfils, as he embarks on his final season on tour.
Elina Svitolina Stays Connected With Daughter and Supports Gaël Monfils
Svitolina entered the BNP Paribas Open as the ninth seed, defeating Laura Siegemund in the second round and powering past Ashlyn Krueger in straight sets in the third round. Riding the momentum from her impressive run at the 2026 Dubai Tennis Championships, where she reached the final and fell to Jessica Pegula, Svitolina is aiming to have another memorable run at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
During her recent interview with the Tennis Channel, the Ukrainian star reflected on her three-year-old daughter, Skaï, whom the couple welcomed on Oct. 15, 2022. She also shared her heartfelt thoughts on their connection, revealing admirable tidbits from their recent conversation and how Monfils is handling parenting duties.
She expressed, “She’s very well actually. Gaël is back to Europe so he’s on daddy’s duty. Enjoying the time with her, bringing her to school and they’ve been calling me this morning, it was fun. She asked me to show her my room, the view, the layout of my room. So, it was cute moment. This moment’s really precious, sometimes, they are far away, but I feel like, there’s a little piece always with me.”
Svitolina also discussed her husband and the deep emotions tied to this new chapter, following Monfils’ October 2025 announcement that he will retire from professional tennis after the 2026 season.
She expressed, “His year is definitely a special one. Every tournament, he arrives to and it’s, ‘Oh, this is my last year in the Indian Wells. This is my last year in Australia.” I’m very lucky to share these moments with him. Now it is going to be exciting, also tournaments in Europe, Roland Garros for him.”
The WTA star also shared her mixed emotions and the bond Monfils has made throughout his career, saying, “I think I’m more stressed and more excited for these moments for him. It’s just great experience and to be next to him and try to calm him down sometimes. He played for so many years and playing in front of so many fans, and really having these moments with them, this connection is going to be something that he’s going to miss.”
Moving forward to her quarterfinal round, Svitolina is set to face the Polish sensation Iga Świątek, who is spearheading her campaign as the second seed. According to our interactive tennis predictor, Svitolina has a 39% chance of winning.
