Elina Svitolina on traveling to Ukraine during the war: “Gaël is scared for me, but he supports me. I’m not sure many husbands would understand this”

As the war between Ukraine and Russia has now lasted more than two years, Elina Svitolina continues to travel regularly to her home country to visit her family and loved ones. And of course, leaving her husband, Gaël Monfils, and their daughter behind is never easy.

“Gaël gets very nervous before my trips. Of course, he’s scared for me and for our family. But I try to talk to him and explain the situation. I go over the safety rules with him. I think about my family a lot, but I also suffer deeply for my country. I am one of Ukraine’s voices in the world. That’s my mission. It’s always very emotional when I say goodbye to him and to my daughter. But I think he understands how important this is to me. He stands by my side. My family still lives in Odessa. I have many close friends who are on the front lines right now. To me, they are like family too. I’m very grateful to Gaël for supporting me. I know it’s really hard. I’m not sure many husbands would understand this.”