‘Pressure’ and ‘Sacrifice’ Mount Gael Monfils at Mere Mention of Daughter’s Future in Tennis

The year 2022 was a special one in life for Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina. The power couple welcomed their first child, a daughter named Skai. Monfils and Svitolina tied the knot in 2021 after being in a relationship since 2019. Ever since their daughter’s birth, the tennis couple have often shared adorable glimpses of their family. Recently, Monfils answered a popular question about his daughter.

It is a common phenomenon for children to follow their parents’ professions. With tennis running strongly in their genes, Monfils and Svitolina’s daughter is also seen by many to become a tennis professional. But does Skai’s father want her to follow her parents?

Gael Monfils makes his intentions clear about his daughter’s future

During a recent episode of the Tennis Insider Club podcast, Monfils was asked if he would like his daughter to take up tennis like him and Svitolina. While the Frenchman was hesitant, he cleared the air regarding his daughter’s profession in the future. Monfils revealed, “Please, not. But I tell everybody, it’s fine, guys. There’s a lot of sacrifice.”

Further, he went on to add, “No, the thing is a little bit different for our daughter. If she wants to play, she will play. You won’t push it. I won’t push it. The thing is because she will have a lot of pressure from the beginning, which is tough because she’s the daughter of Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils.”

This has become a talking point ever since Monfils and Svitolina welcomed their daughter. Often, Monfils has been asked to comment if he would like Skai to pursue tennis. Last year, Monfils was asked the same question but his answer might surprise you.

When Monfils didn’t want his daughter to pursue tennis

During an interview with NBO Magazine last year, Monfils was asked if he and Svitolina want their daughter Skai to play professional tennis. While Monfils left up to his daughter this time around, he had a contrasting viewpoint last year.

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Monfils revealed, “She’ll do what she wants. Deep inside, I hope she picks up something besides a tennis racquet. Golf, soccer. Basketball. I wish she can try another sport, to be honest.”

The Frenchman knows the difficulties that come along while being a tennis player and hence wants his daughter to pick an alternate career option other than tennis. Do you feel that Skai should follow her parents into tennis? Or pick another career option? Let us know your views in the comments below.