Gael Monfils would have been retired for five years now had it not been for his wife.
The Frenchman has revealed he almost quit tennis despite being ranked inside the top 10 as he struggled heavily with off-court issues.
Monfils made his debut 21 years ago in 2004 at the Open de Moselle, where he won his first ATP match.
Since then, he has enjoyed a glittering career and has established himself as a fan favourite due to his thrilling style of play.
He has picked up 13 ATP singles titles and reached at least one ATP Tour singles final every year for 19 consecutive seasons from 2005 to 2023.
In the process, he has earned close to $24 million in prize money alone.
Monfils is married to fellow tennis star Elina Svitolina, and the pair have been somewhat of a power couple on tour since they tied the knot in 2021.
The 38-year-old recently explained how the Ukrainian had to convince him not to quit the sport despite being the World No. 9 back in 2020 when she was his girlfriend.
“Honestly, if I hadn’t met Elina, I would’ve retired already – no doubt about it. I think I would’ve called it quits after Covid,” he told retired French tennis star Gilles Simon on his YouTube Talk Show.
“At that time, I was still in the top 10, but it meant nothing to me. Empty stadiums… it was a different energy, and I just felt it wasn’t for me anymore.
“I started telling her 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 – and for me, that’s crucial.”
Although she convinced him not to retire then, Monfils was on the verge of quitting again in 2022.
It was because he suffered a career-threatening foot injury just after reaching world No.14 and winning the Adelaide title.
“Then I had a good run – climbed to No. 14, won Adelaide, reached the Australian Open quarterfinals. But then came another injury, my foot. I was out for seven months,” Monflis added.
“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 told me, ‘Look, I’m coming back after giving birth, so can you.’ 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.”
Monfils’ decision not to retire would prove to be the correct one as he staged a remarkable comeback to tennis in 2023 at the age of 36.
By the end of 2023, he won the Stockholm Open while ranked at No. 140 in the world.
Once the 2024 Paris Olympics arrived, he was within the top 40 and competed in the games on home soil.
Later that year he went to earn a huge win over Carlos Alcaraz in Monteral before winning his 13th career title in Auckland at the start of 2025.
The reason for success? His wife.
“My wife literally saved me. She reignited that fire in me. You know, sometimes it’s burning bright, sometimes it’s barely a flame, and she brought it back,” he said.
“So yes, to answer the question: she played a huge, decisive role in the fact that I’m still playing tennis. So thank you, Elina.”
Monfils has achieved a lot in tennis and has a career to be proud of.
But thanks to his wife, he’s not ready to call it quits just yet.
