Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina shine bright on a couples trip to 'Second Serve'

Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina are as captivating as anyone in the sports world. When they began their relationship and quickly became the it-couple of tennis, fans couldn't get enough of their content, which shines on social media (if you somehow haven't, check out G.E.M.S. Life). Svitolina is a fighter in every sense of the word; Monfils is a magician with a racquet in his hand who just might be the best athlete tennis has ever seen.

But on Tennis Channel 2’s “Second Serve,” the couple let the audience in on their inner selves, both as players and people. Nick Monroe, Jimmy Arias, Tracy Austin and host Geoff Chizever asked thought-provoking questions, and the husband and wife ripped winners in their responses.

Unless you have dedicated yourself to the same craft, it’s impossible for spouses of tennis players to understand exactly what is happening in between the lines. But Monfils and Svitolina have each walked in the other’s shoes, competing at the highest stakes of the game. When Arias asked Svitolina how she reacts when her husband uses a less-than-ideal tactic in match, she answered that sometimes she shows her frustrations visibly.

“She wants all the time for myself to be more aggressive,” Monfils replied slyly. “It’s really hard Jimmy, as you know. ‘Hit this forehand!’ she tells me every time,” the Frenchman explained. “And me, I have to have a poker face. You know, happy wife, happy life.”

In 2022, Monfils and Svitolina welcomed a daughter Skai into the world, and she quickly became the center of their universe. Austin asked the couple who was the disciplinary of the household, and the answer was firm.

“That’s more Gael. Me, I’m just a soft one. I’m giving her little chocolates, all the sweets. I cannot refuse her,” Svitolina said cheerfully.

On the topic of who made the first move in their relationship, Monfils gleefully acknowledged it was him. “It’s all me. It’s all discipline, I made the first move, but I’m happy,” he explained.

One title Monfils does not claim is to be the best dancer in the extended family—hard to believe, give some of his showmanship—and his selection was shocking to even his wife.

“Actually, the best dancer is Elina’s mom. During our wedding, she won the competition. Crazy, in front of my dad and in front of me!”

Monfils and Svitolina continue to churn out wins, and there seems to be a direct correlation with their positive energy and positive results. Gael reached the third round at Indian Wells and the fourth round in Miami; Elina made the quarters in the desert and the fourth round in South Beach.

Second Serve is the home of free flowing conversation in tennis—and this interview did not disappoint. Watch the full clip up top as Svitolina dishes on her cooking skills, and Monfils demonstrates one of the many magic tricks he is proficient in (a deck of cards is never too far from his reach).

As the tennis world continues to reap the benefits of their union, the standard of sports power couples in 2025 remains the showman from France and the warrior from Ukraine.